In an editorial published in the New England Journal of Medicine, University of Michigan Health hepatologist Anna S. Lok, M.D., hails newly announced results of the B-Well clinical trials as "a major step toward a functional cure for hepatitis B virus infection."

The findings supporting bepirovirsen were deemed a “historic moment” by physicians and validate a drug that has “clear blockbuster potential,” according to one analyst.

New research suggests a first-of-its-kind drug for hepatitis B may let some patients stop treatment without showing signs of the dangerous liver virus.