Study found that an antiparasitic drug can reduce hepatitis B virus

A new study from the University of Tokyo in Japan found that an anti-parasitic drug, nitazoxanide, has the effect of inhibiting and reducing hepatitis B virus. The researchers believe that it is expected to be a candidate for the treatment of hepatitis B.

Hepatitis B is a liver disease caused by hepatitis B virus infection, and the risk of death from cirrhosis and liver cancer is high. According to projections, there are more than 1 million hepatitis B virus carriers in Japan, including about 70,000 hepatitis B patients. Although existing drugs can inhibit the proliferation of hepatitis B virus, it is difficult to remove the virus.

According to a report on the Japanese Yomiuri Shimbun website on the 3rd, a research team at the University of Tokyo found that the proliferation of hepatitis B virus began with the combination of viral proteins and proteins from liver cells, so it tested about 800 drugs to find ways to prevent this combination. The substance found that the antiparasitic drug nitazoxan not only inhibited the proliferation of hepatitis B virus, but also reduced hepatitis B virus.

The researchers said that nitazoxanide has the potential to become a new hepatitis B treatment, and in the future will study ways to maximize the effectiveness of this drug, and then look for the possibility of practical application. Related results have been published in the American medical journal Cellular Gastroenterology and Hepatology.