FDA Approves New Hepatitis Drug
Associated Press
Wednesday, March 30, 2005

FDA Approves New Hepatitis Drug

The Food and Drug Administration has approved a new drug, entecavir, for the treatment of chronic hepatitis B, according to Bristol-Myers Squibb, the drug manufacturer.

Entecavir, is taken orally and is designed to work by preventing the virus that causes hepatitis from reproducing.

In clinical trials, the main side effects reported for entecavir were headache, tiredness, dizziness and nausea.

The drug will be sold under the trade name Baraclude as early as April.

The Hepatitis B Foundation estimates that 1.2 million Americans have hepatitis B and another 100,000 are infected annually.

The chronic form of hepatitis B can permanently damage the liver and lead to cirrhosis and liver cancer.

Current treatment options for chronic hepatitis include interferon, given by injection, and two drugs administered orally, lamivudine and adefovir dipivoxil.

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