Hepatitis B affects roughly 300 million people worldwide. Current treatment includes antiviral pills like tenofovir and entecavir that suppress the virus but rarely eliminate it, meaning most people stay on medication indefinitely. A functional cure — where the virus stays dormant without ongoing treatment — remains the central goal.
What's actually going on in research
Trials are testing combination therapies that pair antivirals with immune-boosting drugs, agents that silence viral DNA in infected liver cells, and therapeutic vaccines designed to train the immune system to control the virus long-term. Researchers are also studying capsid inhibitors that block viral assembly and RNA-targeting therapies that disrupt viral replication at earlier steps.
Combination therapies
Pairing antivirals with drugs that stimulate immune response or silence viral genes may achieve functional cure in a meaningful percentage of people. Several combinations are now in mid-stage trials.
Capsid inhibitors
These drugs prevent the virus from assembling properly inside liver cells. Early results suggest they reduce viral markers more effectively than antivirals alone when used in combination.
RNA-targeting therapies
Drugs that degrade or silence viral RNA aim to shut down replication at an earlier stage than current antivirals. Some use small interfering RNA or antisense oligonucleotides.
What to know before you search
Eligibility typically depends on viral load, liver enzyme levels, presence of cirrhosis, prior antiviral treatment, and hepatitis B e-antigen status.
What types of trials are currently open
- Functional cure trials — Testing combination therapies to see if people can stop daily antivirals and keep the virus suppressed long-term. These trials often measure hepatitis B surface antigen loss as a marker of cure.
- Antiviral trials — Testing new drugs that block viral replication, often capsid inhibitors or RNA-targeting agents, usually in combination with existing antivirals.
- Immune-based trials — Testing therapeutic vaccines or immune-stimulating drugs that aim to restore the body's ability to control the virus without ongoing medication.
- Prevention trials — Testing vaccines or long-acting antivirals in people at high risk of infection, including infants born to mothers with hepatitis B.
- Liver disease trials — Testing treatments for cirrhosis, liver cancer, or liver damage caused by chronic hepatitis B, including drugs that reduce fibrosis.
Recently added Hepatitis B trials
Take an antiviral medication to treat hepatitis B-related liver cirrhosis
This is a prospective, randomized, open-label clinical trial designed to compare the antiviral efficacy and safety of entecavir 0.5 mg once daily versus entecavir 1.0 mg once daily in adult patients with hepatitis B virus (HBV)-related decompensated liver cirrhosis. A total of 48 participants will be randomized equally to the two treatment groups and followed for 24 weeks. The primary outcome is the reduction in serum HBV DNA at week 24. Secondary outcomes include changes in Child-Pugh and MELD scores, HBeAg seroconversion, development or worsening of hepatic decompensation, occurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma, and safety of treatment.
Take an experimental injection being tested for hepatitis B treatment
To evaluate the safety, efficacy, pharmacokinetics and immunogenicity of single and multiple doses of HECN30227 Injection in healthy volunteers and patients with chronic hepatitis B
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