(Science) – A 6-month regimen of an experimental drug for the hepatitis B virus (HBV) added to standard antivirals has “functionally cured” 19% of people in two efficacy trials, meaning they can naturally control that virus without any further treatments. The results, published today in The New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) and presented at Europe’s largest meeting on liver health, come from people whose chronic HBV infections were already relatively well controlled with the existing drugs, so its effectiveness in other populations that are more challenging to treat remains unknown. (Read More)