Hepatitis D Remains an Overlooked Threat for People Living with Hepatitis B

BEIJING, July 28, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- On World Hepatitis Day, the 2026 campaign calls for breaking down barriers to hepatitis testing, treatment and care. Hepatitis D (HDV), the most severe form of chronic viral hepatitis, occurs only in people living with hepatitis B. WHO estimates that about 12 million people worldwide live with HDV. Yet the disease remains widely underrecognized.

Central Asia lies within an HDV high-prevalence belt extending into Mongolia, western China, Afghanistan, Pakistan and parts of the Middle East. National-level epidemiological data remain limited across much of the region, meaning the true burden may be underestimated. Available studies nevertheless point to a serious problem. HDV was found in about 13% of people with hepatitis B in Kazakhstan and 15% in Kyrgyzstan, while a hospital-based study in Uzbekistan found HDV antibodies in 84% of hepatitis B patients tested.

Early diagnosis is particularly important because HDV can progress rapidly: one global analysis found progression to cirrhosis in about five years and liver cancer in about 10 years, on average. Yet access to confirmatory HDV RNA testing remains limited in many low- and middle-income countries, leaving infections undiagnosed and the true burden difficult to measure. Treatment options are also scarce. As of July 2026, only two HDV-specific therapies have received regulatory approval worldwide, and neither is approved in Central Asia.

With HDV-specific treatment unavailable or difficult to access closer to home, some patients from the region have traveled to Beijing, Urumqi and other Chinese cities for care. In January 2026, Libevitug received conditional approval in China as the country's first treatment for chronic hepatitis D and the world's first monoclonal antibody approved for viral hepatitis. Clinical data supporting its approval showed good efficacy and improvements in liver stiffness. Libevitug works by blocking viral entry without directly affecting normal bile acid transport.

Greater public awareness, wider testing and continued scientific exchange are needed to bring HDV out of the shadows and help more people receive timely diagnosis and care.

"Improving hepatitis D care will require sustained cooperation across the region," said Bin Chen, CEO of Huahui Health, the developer of Libevitug. "We remain committed to working with partners on scientific exchange and clinical research so that progress can ultimately benefit more patients."