Hepaconda

Hepaconda is a small molecule combination therapy consisting of bezafibrate, a pan-peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) agonist, and chenodeoxycholic acid, a naturally occurring bile acid. Developed by the Australian biotechnology company Giaconda Limited, it was primarily investigated as a "rescue therapy" for patients with chronic Hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype 1 infection who had exhausted standard treatment options. The combination aims to improve liver function and modulate lipid metabolism. Beyond HCV, the drug was also explored for the treatment of primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). Clinical development reached Phase IIa, where it demonstrated improvements in liver enzymes such as gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST), although it showed minimal impact on viral load. Development was suspended in 2008.

Brand names

Hepaconda

Other names

bezafibrate + chenodeoxycholic acid