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Gilead Sciences on Tuesday announced it has begun enrolling patients in two Phase III clinical trials evaluating its drug tenofovir in treating chronic hepatitis B. Tenofovir is already approved and marketed under the brand name Viread for the treatment of HIV disease in combination with other antiretroviral drugs. The hepatitis B trials will be held over a 48-week period in 14 countries and will involve more than 500 hepatitis B patients. Tenofovir is believed to inhibit the hepatitis B virus's DNA polymerase, an enzyme involved in the replication of the virus in the body. Gilead Sciences already markets the hepatitis B treatment Hepsera, which also inhibits DNA polymerase. Hepatitis B virus can be found in blood, semen, and other bodily fluids and can be passed via unprotected anal sex, shared sex toys, shared needles, and even shared razors or toothbrushes. Oral sex carries a low risk of HBV infection. Hepatitis B infection can lead to cirrhosis of the liver, liver cancer, and even death. As many as 320,000 Americans are infected with HBV each year, and as many as 1.25 million Americans have chronic HBV infections. Symptoms of hepatitis B include fatigue, nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, fever, muscle aches, upper abdominal discomfort, and jaundice, especially yellowing of the eyes. All gay and bisexual men are urged to be vaccinated against both hepatitis A and B, but the Gay and Lesbian Medical Association estimates that as many as half the gay men who should be vaccinated against the STD have not been inoculated.
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