London: A drug for treating hepatitis B virus (HBV) could be mass-produced at a fraction of its current price - for only $36 (Rs.2,267) per person per year, versus the current US price of over $15,000 (Rs. 944,775), say researchers from University of Liverpool in Britain.

Hepatitis B causes liver cancer and liver cirrhosis, both of which can be fatal. It is transmitted through blood and infected bodily fluids. There is also a risk of infected mothers passing on the Hepatitis B virus to their children.