Tenofovir, a new drug for treating hepatitis B, has been used in the United States and Europe. According to the latest reports of the Annual Meeting of American Hepatology and the Annual Meeting of European Hepatology, tenofovir can become one of the best oral antiviral drugs at present because of its excellent antiviral effect and low drug resistance. However, this drug has just landed in China and started clinical trials, and it is expected that it will benefit hepatitis B patients in China in three years.
According to the relevant regulations of China, imported new drugs must be clinically tested in China before they can be officially used. Gilead Scientific Company of the United States and GlaxoSmithKline, a British pharmaceutical company, will jointly conduct clinical trials of new drugs for treating hepatitis B in Chinese mainland. The chemical name of the drug is Vilade fumarate, which belongs to a new nucleotide reverse transcriptase inhibitor. It can inhibit the replication of hepatitis B virus by interfering with the function of DNA polymerase of hepatitis B virus and reduce the viral load in serum and liver tissue.
An agreement has been signed with GlaxoSmithKline to transfer the patent right of the drug for treating adult chronic hepatitis B virus infection in Asian countries, and it is clear that GlaxoSmithKline has the exclusive marketing right of the drug in China and is responsible for the registration of the drug in China. The two companies will expand the coverage of agreements with Japan and other Asian countries. In addition to the treatment of hepatitis B, the indications of this drug also include the combination with other antiretroviral drugs to treat adult HIV infection.
At present, it has been approved for clinical use in the United States, the European Union, Turkey, Australia, New Zealand and Canada. Experts predict that clinical research in China will last for three years, and it will be listed in about three to four years. The person in charge of GlaxoSmithKline said that China has a great demand for drugs to treat hepatitis B, and the introduction of high-quality drugs can benefit more patients; During the application for registration of this drug, we will continue to cooperate with the Ministry of Health of China to provide support for improving the diagnosis and treatment infrastructure and improving the technical level of medical staff. At the same time, promote the existing drugs for treating hepatitis B to enter the medical insurance catalogue to reduce the burden on patients; Explore ways to serve rural areas, improve rural drug supply, and enable rural patients to get advanced drug treatment.