We would like to thank Profs Chan, Wong and Wong for their thoughtful comments on our recent publication.1 In our expert opinion article, we discuss how the use of a low-risk HBV carrier state, defined as off-treatment sustained low levels of HBsAg and HBV DNA, potentially combined with other biomarkers of cccDNA transcriptional activity, could be a useful alternative endpoint to overcome some of the limitations of the very strict functional cure response criterion.2 While Chan et al. recognize the potential usefulness of alternative endpoints beyond functional cure, they also point out potential limitations of the proposed definition of partial cure.
Journal of Hepatology published a clinical update in Research Highlights on 11 Mar 2026.
The item focuses on Reply to: “Is partial cure a realistic endpoint for novel hepatitis B therapy?”.
Review the original article for the full source wording and details.