Bulevirtide, sold under the brand name Hepcludex, is an
antiviral medication
Antiviral drugs are a class of medication used for treating viral infections. Most antivirals target specific viruses, while a broad-spectrum antiviral is effective against a wide range of viruses. Unlike most antibiotics, antiviral drugs do ...
for the treatment of chronic
hepatitis D
Hepatitis D is a type of viral hepatitis caused by the hepatitis delta virus (HDV). HDV is one of five known hepatitis viruses: A, B, C, D, and E. HDV is considered to be a satellite (a type of subviral agent) because it can propagate only in ...
(in the presence of
hepatitis B
Hepatitis B is an infectious disease caused by the '' Hepatitis B virus'' (HBV) that affects the liver; it is a type of viral hepatitis. It can cause both acute and chronic infection.
Many people have no symptoms during an initial infection. ...
).
The most common side effects include raised levels of bile salts in the blood and reactions at the site of injection.
Bulevirtide works by attaching to and blocking a receptor (target) through which the hepatitis delta and hepatitis B viruses enter liver cells.
By blocking the entry of the virus into the cells, it limits the ability of HDV to replicate and its effects in the body, reducing symptoms of the disease.
Bulevirtide was approved for medical use in the European Union in July 2020.
Structural formula
Bulevirtide is a 47-amino acid peptide with the following sequence:
CH3(CH2)12CO-
Gly
Glycine (symbol Gly or G; ) is an amino acid that has a single hydrogen atom as its side chain. It is the simplest stable amino acid (carbamic acid is unstable), with the chemical formula NH2‐ CH2‐ COOH. Glycine is one of the proteinogeni ...
-
Thr-
Asn-
Leu-
Ser
Ser or SER may refer to:
Places
* Ser, a village in Bogdand Commune, Satu Mare County, Romania
* Serpens (Ser), an astronomical constellation of the northern hemisphere
* Serres, known as Ser in Serbian, a city in Macedonia, Greece
Organization ...
-
Val-
Pro
Pro is an abbreviation meaning "professional".
Pro, PRO or variants thereof may also refer to:
People
* Miguel Pro (1891–1927), Mexican priest
* Pro Hart (1928–2006), Australian painter
* Mlungisi Mdluli (born 1980), South African retired f ...
-Asn-Pro-Leu-Gly-
Phe-Phe-Pro-
Asp-