Triple Therapy Doubles Hepatitis B Functional Cure
Brii Biosciences reports phase 2 data showing BRII-179 and elebsiran raise HBsAg loss rates in chronic hepatitis B patients.
Updated on Nov. 6, 2026 in Diseases — General
Brii Biosciences presented phase 2 ENHANCE data showing that adding BRII-179 and elebsiran to peginterferon alfa more than doubled HBsAg loss compared with peginterferon alfa alone in chronic hepatitis B. The findings were announced on November 5, 2026, and the study sites were all in China.
Why it matters
Nucleos(t)ide analogues suppress hepatitis B virus replication but rarely clear HBsAg, so most patients need long-term treatment. Functional cure, defined as sustained HBsAg loss with undetectable HBV DNA 24 weeks after stopping treatment, is the preferred endpoint for trials of finite therapies.
In the 147-participant ENHANCE Part A-1 trial, HBsAg loss at end of treatment was 25.5% with triple therapy versus 10.2% with peginterferon alfa alone. The data are unpublished in a peer-reviewed journal, and all study sites were in China.
The players
Brii Biosciences
Brii Biosciences is a biopharmaceutical company developing treatments for chronic hepatitis B, and it sponsored the ENHANCE and ENRICH studies.
U.S. Food and Drug Administration
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is the federal agency responsible for approving drugs and biologics for sale in the United States.
The details
In the randomized ENHANCE Part A-1 study, 147 participants without cirrhosis were assigned 2:1 to triple therapy or 48 weeks of peginterferon alfa monotherapy. Priming with BRII-179 and elebsiran also allowed peginterferon alfa treatment to be cut in half, according to the company's presentation at The Liver Meeting 2026 in Denver.
Timeline
October 20, 2026: The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved bepirovirsen (Hibsago) for chronic hepatitis B.
November 5, 2026: Brii Biosciences announced the ENHANCE and ENRICH findings.
November 5-9, 2026: The Liver Meeting 2026 was held in Denver, Colorado.
Health Landscape
The results add to efforts to move beyond long-term nucleos(t)ide suppression toward functional cure, the endpoint regulators and trial designers now treat as the preferred goal for finite hepatitis B therapies. The U.S. FDA's October 20, 2026 approval of bepirovirsen shows that the same functional cure goal is being pursued through other agents.
For people living with chronic hepatitis B, a finite regimen that clears HBsAg could mean stopping long-term daily treatment, though these phase 2 results are not yet confirmed in larger or non-Chinese populations. Patients and clinicians should watch for peer-reviewed publication and regulatory review before expecting any change in care.
The takeaway
A finite treatment that clears the hepatitis B surface antigen would mark a shift from lifelong suppression toward a possible cure, but these data remain early and unpublished in a peer-reviewed journal. Readers should expect confirmation from larger, multinational trials before drawing conclusions for everyday care.
Further reading
For broader context on chronic infections and treatment trends, explore more in Diseases — General.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Hcplive.
