USTC8312 Health and Medicine Board

Viread Approved for Hepatitis B [ Health and Medicine Board ] [ Home ] Posted by HealthDay News on August 12, 2008 at 13:42:57: Viread Approved for Hepatitis B Already sanctioned to treat HIV Posted August 12, 2008 TUESDAY, Aug. 12 (HealthDay News) -- Viread (tenofovir disoproxil fumarate) has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat chronic hepatitis B infection in adults. The Gilead Sciences drug has been approved since 2001 to treat HIV/AIDS. A serious liver disease, chronic hepatitis B affects about 400 million people globally and some 2 million in the United States, the manufacturer said in a news release. Asian Americans account for nearly half of all cases of the infection, which is a leading cause of liver cancer. A once-daily tablet, Viread blocks an enzyme called HBV DNA polymerase, which is needed by the hepatitis B virus to replicate in liver cells.