Treatment    

Hepatitis D

Medication with a drug called interferon alpha is used to treat patients with chronic hepatitis B who also have hepatitis D.

Interferon is similar to interferon that your body’s immune system produces to fight infection. It is
used to boost your immune system to help prevent the virus from growing and causing more liver damage.

Interferon alpha is given by injection three times a week. Another type of interferon now commonly used is ‘pegylated’ interferon. This is a slow release version of the drug that remains in your body for longer than conventional interferon and requires only a single weekly injection.

The minimum period for treatment with interferon alpha or pegylated interferon is twelve months.

For more detailed information on the treatment of this virus it is useful to refer to our publication on hepatitis B.

Hepatitis E

There is no specific treatment for hepatitis E. It is regarded as a self-limiting disease, meaning that it runs a defined or limited course. Most people who have hepatitis E will go on to recover completely.