Hepatitis B Drug May Lead to Fibrosis Reversal

A six-year study linked the antiviral drug Entecavir, commonly used to treat chronic hepatitis B, to reversal of fibrosis and cirrhosis. The therapy was offered long-term (an average of 148 weeks) to 69 study patients but offered significant regression of fibrosis in 96% of the participants. The results were presented at the AASLD 2008 Liver Meeting (American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases).

The study is interesting because it demonstrates reversal of fibrosis, something that, in the past, was considered irreversible. However, scientists are showing that this is not exactly true in all cases. The liver has powerful regenerative abilities and when the problem that's causing inflammation is removed, such as one of the hepatotropic viruses, the liver can begin to get better. Of course, it's a slow process and in many cases, the degree and amount of damage make cirrhosis realistically irreversible. Research like this, though, is encouraging to see!