hydronidone + entecavir

Hydronidone + entecavir is a combination therapy under investigation for the treatment of liver fibrosis associated with chronic hepatitis B (CHB). Entecavir is an oral guanosine nucleoside analogue antiviral that selectively inhibits hepatitis B virus (HBV) polymerase, blocking all three steps in the viral replication process and reducing HBV DNA levels. Hydronidone is a novel small molecule structurally related to pirfenidone, designed as an antifibrotic agent. It acts by inhibiting hepatic stellate cell activation via Smad7-mediated TGFβRI degradation, attenuating liver fibrosis, decreasing collagen accumulation, and reducing expression of fibrosis-related genes. Clinical trials have shown that adding hydronidone to entecavir results in significant reversal of liver fibrosis in CHB patients[1][3][4][6][7].