AISF-SIMIT practice guidance on treatment of hepatitis d virus (HDV): A 2025 update

Digestive and Liver Disease 2026 Open access

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Authors: Elisabetta Degasperi, Maria Antonietta Pisaturo, Alessio Aghemo, Massimo Andreoni, Maurizia Brunetto, Vincenza Calvaruso, Alessia Ciancio, Nicola Coppola, Roberta D’Ambrosio, Gianpiero D’Offizi, Giovanni B. Gaeta, Pietro Lampertico
+8 more Claudio M. Mastroianni, Grazia Anna Niro, Roberto Parrella, Massimo Puoti, Francesco Paolo Russo, Teresa Santantonio, Pier Luigi Toniutto, Mauro Viganò
DOI: 10.1016/j.dld.2025.12.017
Cited by: 3
References: 78

Abstract

Chronic hepatitis Delta virus (HDV) infection represents the most severe form of viral hepatitis, characterized by accelerated progression to cirrhosis, end-stage liver disease, and hepatocellular carcinoma. For decades, Pegylated Interferon (PegIFNα) has been the only therapeutic option, with limited efficacy and poor tolerability. The approval of the HBV/HDV entry inhibitor Bulevirtide marked a turning point, by providing the first anti-HDV specific antiviral drug. This position paper, developed jointly by the Italian Association for the Study of the Liver (AISF) and the Italian Society of Infectious and Tropical Diseases (SIMIT), updates prior national guidance by providing practical recommendations for diagnosis, staging, and treatment of chronic HDV infection.

Fields of Study & Subjects

Hepatitis B Virus Studies Hepatitis Viruses Studies and Epidemiology Hepatitis C virus research

Publication details

Journal / source
Digestive and Liver Disease
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Volume
58
Issue
3
Pages
297–307
Publication date
28 January 2026
Language
EN