Dosing & Uses
Hepatitis D Infection
Pending FDA approval for treatment of chronic hepatitis delta virus (HDV) infection in adults with compensated liver disease
Pharmacology
Mechanism of Action
First-in-class sodium taurocholate cotransporting polypeptide (NTCP) blocker; NTCP serves to transport bile acids to the liver from the portal circulation as an important component of enterohepatic circulation
Hepatitis D virus (HDV) replicates independently within liver cells, but requires hepatitis B surface antigen to propagate; hepatitis B and D viruses enter hepatocytes through binding of NTCP to hepatitis B virus preS1 surface protein domain
Bulevirtide binds and subsequently inactivates HBV and HDV receptors on hepatocytes; it also blocks NTCP binding site, subsequently blocking HBV and HDV viral entry into cells resulting in prevention of viral replication
