The Medical Data Analytics Centre (MDAC) announce the publication of a significant study in Nature Medicine titled “Elebsiran and PEG-IFNα for chronic hepatitis B infection: a partially randomized, open-label, phase 2 trial.” The research, led by Professor Grace Wong Lai-Hung, represents an important step toward achieving functional cure for chronic hepatitis B (Hep B).

Current antiviral therapies for Hep B, including nucleos(t)ide analogues and pegylated interferon-α (PEG-IFNα), effectively suppress viral replication but rarely eliminate hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg). The new phase 2 study evaluates the efficacy and safety of combining Elebsiran, a small interfering RNA (siRNA) that directly targets HBV RNA to reduce viral antigen production, with PEG-IFNα.

At 24 weeks after treatment, sustained HBsAg loss, a marker of functional cure, was observed in up to 33% of participants receiving Elebsiran plus PEG-IFNα, compared with 5.6% in those receiving PEG-IFNα alone. The combination regimen was generally safe and well tolerated.

In an additional cohort, participants who had previously received the therapeutic vaccine BRII-179 and demonstrated strong antibody responses achieved even higher HBsAg clearance rates (42%). These findings highlight the potential value of integrating antiviral, RNA-targeted, and immunomodulatory strategies to maximize curative outcomes.

This collaborative research underscores MDAC’s commitment to advancing clinical data science and translational research that directly informs the future of hepatitis B treatment worldwide.

Reference:

Wong GL, Yuen MF, Lin B, et al. Elebsiran and PEG-IFNα for chronic hepatitis B infection: a partially randomized, open-label, phase 2 trial. Nature Medicine. Published online November 7, 2025. doi:10.1038/s41591-025-04049-z