Top Stories 
*Please Note: Links to full articles may expire after 2 weeks. If you are unable to access the page via the links below, try searching the HBV Research List Archives at http://archive.mail-list.com/hbv_research/
2013
HHS Viral Hepatitis Action Plan Will Be Renewed
May 20 - The U.S. HHS National Viral Hepatitis Action Plan is celebrating its 2nd anniversary this year and Dr. Howard Koh, Assistant Secretary for Health of HSS, has announced that the partner agencies are committed and dedicated to renewing the Action Plan for another three years. The federal partners are currently working on their vision and priorities for 2014–2016. Read more
Hepatitis B Virus Linked with Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma
May 20 – Individuals with chronic hepatitis B virus infection may have an increased risk of developing non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, according to findings recently published in The Lancet Oncology. Read more
NJ Recognizes May As National Hepatitis Awareness Month
May 20 – The New Jersey Department of Health, leader of an active HBV coalitions and Hep B United member, recognizes May as National Hepatitis Awareness Month. Read more
Bayer Begins Phase III Trial of Regorafenib in Patients with Hepatocellular Carcinoma
May 20 – Bayer HealthCare has started to enroll patients in an international phase III trial to evaluate the efficacy and safety of regorafenib for the treatment of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma who have progressed on sorafenib treatment. Read more
Eliminating Perinatal Transmission of Hepatitis B: More Than Just A Test
May 13 – Tackling and eliminating perinatal hepatitis B in the United States through the Viral Hepatitis Action Plan initiatives, vital partners and the implementation of provisions of the Affordable Care Act. Read more
Do Asian Patients Respond Better to Pegylated Interferon for Hepatitis B?
May 13 – Some Asian people with chronic hepatitis B treated with pegylated interferon may experience better outcomes on certain measures than Caucasians, though overall response rates are similar, according to a comparative analysis presented at the EASL International Liver Congress last month. Read more
Jennerex Granted FDA Orphan Drug Designation for Pexa-Vec in Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC)
May 13 – Jennerex's Pexa-Vec, an oncolytic immunotherapy designed to treat advanced HCC patients who have failed sorafenib, has received FDA orphan drug designation. Read more
Novel Tests Improve Diagnosis of Two Types of Liver Cancer
May 13 – New data from two clinical trials that were presented at the International Liver Congress 2013, demonstrated substantial improvements in the detection of both hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and cholangiocarcinoma using diagnostic urine tests. Read more
Health Providers With Hepatitis B Are No Threat to Patients, Covered By Disability Law
May 6 – New guidelines and the recent Department of Justice settlement are powerful tools to combat hepatitis B discrimination of medical professionals and students who are HBV carriers. Read more
May is Hepatitis Awareness Month
May 6 – May 1 marked the start of the month-long observance of Hepatitis Awareness Month. The observance is an important element of government-wide efforts to raise awareness about viral hepatitis and decrease health disparities by educating communities about the benefits of viral hepatitis prevention, testing, care, and treatment. Read more
Combo of 2 HIV Drugs Can Control Hepatitis B
May 6 – The HIV antiretrovirals Viread (tenofovir) and Emtriva (emtricitabine), which are typically combined as Truvada, can suppress the hepatitis B virus in three-quarters of those with “immune-tolerant” infection. Read more
Genetic Fossils Betray Hepatitis B's Ancient Roots
May 6 – A virus that causes liver diseases in people may have infected birds that shared the planet with dinosaurs. Read more
Five Reasons Asian Americans Should Get Tested for Hepatitis B
April 29 – More than 1 million Americans have a lifelong, or chronic, infection of hepatitis B. This includes one out of every 12 Asian Americans. If you or your parents were born in Asia or the Pacific Islands, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that you get tested for hepatitis B. Read more.
Health-Care Worker Visits Increase Hepatitis B Screening Rates for Hmong Americans
April 29 – Lay health workers increased screening rates for the hepatitis B virus and knowledge about the disease among a group of Asian Americans, known as the Hmong, UC Davis researchers have found in the first study of its kind. Read more.
Novel Therapeutic Approaches to Cure Chronic HBV Infection
April 29 – Exciting new data presented at the International Liver Congress 2013 include results from early in vitro and in vivo studies targeting covalently closed circular DNA (cccDNA), which may form the basis of a cure for chronic hepatitis B virus infection. Read more.
New Drug Stimulates Immune System to Kill Infected Cells in Animal Model of Hepatitis B Infection
April 29 – A novel drug, GS–9620, developed by Gilead Sciences and tested in an animal model at the Texas Biomedical Research Institute in San Antonio suppresses hepatitis B virus infection by stimulating the immune system and inducing loss of infected cells. Read more.
Dozens of Oklahoma Dentist’s Patients Positive for Hepatitis
April 22 - Dozens of patients of an Oklahoma dental clinic shuttered for unsanitary conditions have tested positive for hepatitis, according to a joint statement issued by Oklahoma State Department of Health and the Tulsa Health Department. Read more.
FDA Approves FibroScan® for Non-invasive Liver Diagnosis
April 22 - Echosens™ announces its FibroScan® device received 510(k) clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on April 5th, 2013 and is now ready to market its pioneering technology in the United States. Read more.
Liver Disease a Major Cause of Illness and Death Across the European Union: Action Needed to Save Lives
April 22 – Liver disease is the cause of a considerable burden of illness across the European Union (EU), investigators report in The Journal of Hepatology as a result of viral hepatitis, consumption of alcohol and fatty liver disease. Read more.
Interferon Induces Persistent Viral Infection, Suggests A New Approach To Clearing Infections From AIDS To Hepatitis
April 22 – Scientists at The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) have made a counterintuitive finding that may lead to new ways to clear persistent infection that is the hallmark of such diseases as AIDS, hepatitis B and hepatitis C. Read more.
Public Health Response to Improper Infection Control at Tulsa Dentist Office
April 15 – As of April 11, there were 2,432 people who visited the Tulsa Health Department clinic to be screened for hepatitis B, hepatitis C and HIV following the recent announcement regarding the public health response to the improper infection control practices of Tulsa oral surgeon W. Scott Harrington. Read more.
Scientists Test Smallpox Vaccine as Cancer Killer
April 15 - Scientists at the University of California San Diego are conducting a multicenter clinical trial to see if genetically engineered smallpox virus can be used to fight liver cancer. Read more.
Australian Medical Association Calls for Mandatory Proof of Vaccination
April 15 – Parents who fail to vaccinate their children should face barriers to enrolling them in school and childcare centers, the Australian Medical Association says. Read more.
Tenofovir and 3TC Prevent New Hepatitis B Infections in Gay Men Living With HIV
April 8 – The inclusion of 3TC or tenofovir in antiretroviral treatment regimens reduces the risk of infection with hepatitis B virus (HBV) for gay men living with HIV who have not been vaccinated against HBV. Read more.
Liver Diseases Pose Major Problem in Future for Health Care Professionals: Report
April 8 – British Columbia (B.C.) needs more resources dedicated to the awareness, prevention and treatment of liver disease if it is to head off a brewing public health crisis, says one of the province’s leading liver specialists. B.C. has the third-highest rate of chronic hepatitis B infection in Canada. Read more.
He Battled Liver Cancer Thrice, and Won
April 8 – An amazing 52 year-old man is the recipient of a liver transplant, and has battled liver cancer three times in ten years as a result of a hepatitis B infection passed to him at birth from his mother. Read more.
Oklahoma Dental Patients May Have Been Exposed to HIV, Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C
April 1 – Health officials are urging 7,000 patients of an Oklahoma dentist to be tested for potential exposure to HIV, hepatitis B and hepatitis C. Read more.
New NIH Award Aims to Reduce Asian American Hepatitis B Disparities Through Health Information Technology
April 1 – A new grant award by the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities of the NIH will support the development of new Health Information Technology (HIT) strategies by AAPCHO to increase screening for chronic hepatitis B and reduce the impact of hepatitis B among high-risk Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) populations. Read more.
Drug 'May Reverse Liver Disease'
April 1 – A cheap and readily available drug could reverse severe liver disease, even in patients who find it impossible to give up alcohol, research suggests, and may provide an alternative to a liver transplant. Read more.
Chinese Airline Sued for Hepatitis B Discrimination During Recruitment
April 1 – In what is believed to be the first court case involving hepatitis B discrimination in China’s airline industry, charter flight operator, Capitol Airlines is being sued for refusing to employ a pilot because he had HBV. Read more.
Responding to Viral Hepatitis Through Health Reform
March 25 – NASTAD releases the primer on viral hepatitis and the Affordable Care Act (ACA) in light of the ACA’s anniversary. The ACA provides an opportunity to not only improve access to essential care and treatment for people living with viral hepatitis, but to diagnose viral hepatitis earlier and prevent new infections. Read more.
Hep B Poorly Managed in Kids, Pregnant Women
March 25 – Mother-to-child hepatitis B transmission continues despite vaccination and immunoglobulin administration and there is “scope for considerable improvement”, say Victorian experts. Read more.
Hepatitis B Treatment Named as Top-Selling Drug for Last Year
March 25 – A pharmaceutical for the treatment of chronic hepatitis B was the top-selling drug in Taiwan last year, taking the top by replacing a drug tackling high blood pressure. Read more.
Soybean Meal Peptides Could Stop Colon, Liver and Lung Cancer Growth
March 25 – The bean used to make tofu could also have powerful anti-cancer properties, according to a new study published in the Journal Food Research International. Read more.
Listen to Hepatitis B and Liver Cancer by Dr. Robert G. Gish
Download March 6th Webinar
School Cheers as Student Donates Liver to His Dad
March 18 – A Taipei high school student puts his education on hold so he can donate part of his liver to his father, a hepatitis B carrier with cirrhosis. Read more.
Arrowhead RNAi Candidate ARC-520 Induces Greater than 90% Reduction in Circulating HBV DNA in Chimpanzee with Chronic Hepatitis B
March 18 – Arrowhead Research Corporation, a targeted therapeutics company, announced that a study of its RNAi-based candidate ARC-520 in a chimpanzee chronically infected with the human hepatitis B virus supports findings from rodent models indicating that it can knock down HBV DNA and key viral antigens. Read more.
PEG-IFN May Improve Response to Entecavir for HBV
March 11 – Adding pegylated interferon alfa-2a to entecavir increases treatment response in patients with chronic hepatitis B virus infection who are HBeAg positive, according to preliminary results from an international clinical trial. Read more.
Pennsylvania Biotech Center, Created by Hepatitis B Foundation Has Huge Economic Impact
March 8, 2013 - The PA Biotechnology Center, created by the Hepatitis B Foundation, has generated $579 million for the region and state, and 573 jobs over the past 4 years, according to the Economic Impact Study 2013, released by Byler Associates. View Video.
Justice Department Settles with the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey Over Discrimination Against People with Hepatitis B
March 5 – The U.S. Justice Department has reached a settlement with the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey that resolves complaints that some applicants were unlawfully excluded because they have hepatitis B. Under the settlement, UMDNJ will adopt a disability rights policy and allow the applicants to enroll. The Hepatitis B Foundation is proud to have played a role in successfully advocating for these students. Read more.
Arrowhead Data Demonstrates RNAi Candidate ARC-520 Silences Hepatitis B Virus
March 4 – Drug developer Arrowhead Research Corp. released data demonstrating its RNAi-based candidate ARC-520 has the potential to treat chronic hepatitis B in a fundamentally different manner, with the goal of finding a functional cure. Read more.
Exposure to Hepatitis B Virus Activates Immunity in Young People, Suggesting Benefits for Earlier Treatment
March 4 – New research indicates therapeutic interventions currently withheld from younger patients with so-called ‘immune tolerance’ to hepatitis B, may in fact benefit from earlier treatment. Read more.
Tenofovir Plus Emtricitabine or Lamivudine Does Not Always Suppress Hepatitis B in HIV/HBV Coinfected
March 4 – HIV/HBV coinfected people with high hepatitis B virus levels and those who are HBeAg positive are at greater risk of not achieving HBV suppression after a year on tenofovir plus emtricitabine or lamivudine, but most did so eventually, as reported in AIDS. Read more.
Antioxidant N-acetlycystein Improves Survival of Transplanted Liver
March 4 – N-acetylcysteine (NAC) administered during recovery of a liver from a deceased donor can help reduce damage during transplantation and increase survival of the liver graft in the recipient, according to a study published in Liver Transplantation. Read more.
Considerable Proportion of HBV/HCV Cases Go Unreported
Feb 25 – Reporting of chronic hepatitis B virus and hepatitis C virus infections is improving, but is still incomplete, according to research published in the Feb. 15 issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. Read more.
Dynavax Slides as FDA Rejects Adult Hepatitis B Vaccine
Feb 25 – U.S. health regulators denied approval for Dynavax Technologies Inc's adult hepatitis B vaccine and sought additional data to evaluate its safety, delaying the market entry of a faster-acting and less frequently needed vaccine for the liver-attacking infection. Read more.
Combining Tenofovir With FTC or 3TC Boosts Chances of HBV Suppression for People Co-Infected with HIV
Feb 25 – A study involving people co-infected with HIV and hepatitis B virus shows that antiretroviral therapy that combines tenofovir with FTC or 3TC has the best chance of suppressing HBV replication to undetectable level. Read more.
Publication of First Comprehensive Literature Review on the Burden of Liver Disease in Europe
Feb 25 – The European Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL) has unveiled its new publication “The burden of liver disease in Europe” a review of available epidemiological data, which suggests the leading causes of cirrhosis and primary liver cancer. Read more.
Chronic hepatitis B: What Should Be the Goal for New Therapies?
Feb 17 – Chronic hepatitis B can be medically managed with current therapies, but not reliably “cured”. Should the goals for new therapies and potential cures be redefined? Dr. Timothy Block, HBF President and Drexel University Professor, and co-authors offer clarification in Antiviral Research. Read more.
Chronic Viral Hepatitis in Cancer Patients Requires Personalized Management
Feb 17 – The likelihood of HBV reactivation during cancer treatment has led some oncologists to advocate for more thorough and standardized HBV screening guidelines. What decisions are being made regarding a patient’s need for antiviral therapy and the duration of such therapy? Read more.
Sounding the Alarm on a Silent Epidemic: Federal HIV/STD Advisory Group Adopts Viral Hepatitis as Priority
Feb 18 – In support of enhanced cross-government efforts to address the prevention, care and treatment of viral hepatitis, a federal advisory body on HIV and STDs recently expanded its scope and title to include viral hepatitis. Read more.
U.S. Court Invalidates Patent on Bristol Hepatitis B Drug
Feb 18 – A U.S. federal court has invalidated the U.S. patent on Bristol-Myers Squibb Company’s Baraclude treatment for hepatitis B after a challenge from generic drug maker Teva Pharmaceutical Industries. Read more.
Saint Louis University Research Aims Knockout Punch at Hepatitis B
Feb 11 – Saint Louis University investigators together with collaborators from the University of Missouri and the University of Pittsburgh report a breakthrough in the pursuit of new hepatitis B drugs that could help cure the virus. Researchers were able to measure and then block a previously unstudied enzyme to stop the virus from replicating. Read more.
Modified Smallpox Vaccine Stymies Liver Cancer in Study
Feb 11 – A genetically modified smallpox vaccine shrunk tumors in liver cancer patients and extended survival more than a year, a study found. Read more.
HIV Associated With Nonresponse to HBV Vaccine
Feb 11 – The response of adults with HIV to hepatitis B virus vaccination was investigated by researchers from the University of Washington and Kenyatta National Hospital in Kenya, and may provide best practices for re-vaccination of those with HIV infection that do not respond to the HBV vaccine. Read more.
One-Third Cases of Hepatitis B, C Preventable
Feb 11 – A recent study shows about one-third of the hepatitis B and C cases in Pakistan can be prevented by interventions directed towards a few selected and modifiable risk factors. Read more.
Chronic Hepatitis Cohort Study Sheds Light on Burden of Hepatitis B and C in U.S.
Feb 4 – People born between 1945 and 1964 account for the highest proportion of hepatitis B and C cases, and these viruses are a significant cause of illness and death, according to an analysis described in Clinical Infectious Diseases. Read more.
Medgenics Launches First Clinical Trial in Hepatitis to Use INFRADURE Tissue Treatment
Feb 4 – The first phase I/II study of INFRADURE, a subcutaneous autologous skin tissue implant for continuous production and delivery of interferon to treat HBV, HCV and HDV is underway, with the aim to replace months of weekly injections of interferon and associated serious side effects. Read more.
Celsion's Experimental Liver Cancer Treatment Fails in Late-Stage Trial
Feb 4 – Celsion Corporation announced its experimental liver cancer treatment, Thermo-Dox in combination with radio frequency ablation, failed to demonstrate significant progression free survival for patients with hepatocelluar carcinoma. Read more.
Government Commissions Research on Hepatitis B In Rwanda
Feb 4 – Rwanda’s Ministry of Health is conducting research to establish the prevalence of hepatitis B in the country. Read more.
NIH Awards AAPCHO Over $700,000 to Study Impact of Health Information Technology on Asian Americans Living With Viral Hepatitis
Jan 28 – The Association of Asian Pacific Community Health Organizations (AAPCHO) received a 3-year grant totaling over $700,000 from the NIH to develop new Health Information Technology strategies that increase screening for chronic hepatitis B and reduce the impact of HBV among high-risk Asian American and Pacific Islander populations. Read more.
Hepatitis B Genotype C Linked to Increased Hepatoma Risk
Jan 28 – Of all the major hepatitis B virus genotypes, genotype C carries the highest risk for hepatocellular carcinoma, Chinese researchers say. Read more.
Heavy Alcohol Use Increases Liver Cancer Risk for People With Hepatitis B
Jan 28 – Hepatitis B patients with liver cirrhosis who consumed large amounts of alcohol were more likely to develop hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) than people who drank less, according to a report in the December edition of Hepatology. Read more.
Co-Infection With Hepatitis B or C is a Risk Factor for Reduced Bone Mineral Density Among Women With HIV
Jan 28 – After comparing bone mineral density between people with HIV infection alone and people with chronic viral hepatitis co-infection, a study published in the Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes found woman coinfected with hepatitis B or C and HIV had reduced bone mineral density. Read more.
Liver Disease Is Leading Cause of Death for People with Chronic Hepatitis B
Jan 21 – Advanced liver disease caused by hepatitis B virus, – including hepatocellular carcinoma and decompensated cirrhosis – accounted for more than 40% of deaths of people with chronic HBV in a large health maintenance organization, researchers reported in Hepatology. Read more.
Health Care-Related Exposure Linked to HCV, HBV Infection in Older Adults
Jan 21 – Older patients who received healthcare had increased risk of becoming infected with hepatitis B or hepatitis C. Patients' behavioral risks — being in jail, using "non-injected illicit drugs," or having sex with hepatitis-infected partners or with multiple partners — had no relation to this increased risk. Read more.
Mercer Counters High Hep B Numbers With Free Vaccinations
Jan 21 – West Virginia has the highest rate of Hepatitis B in the U.S., with Mercer County rates higher than both the state and national rates. Read more.
Viruses Prompt Oncogenic Transformation By Genetically Altering Infected Cells As Seen In Hepatitis B
Jan 21 – MiR–148a is repressed by hepatitis B virus X protein (HBx) to promote the growth and metastasis of liver cancer, as reported in the Journal of Clinical Investigation. Read more.
NIH Scientists Shed Light on Mystery Surrounding Hepatitis B Virus
Jan 14 – Scientists from the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS), part of the National Institutes of Health, and the University of Oxford, U.K., have shed light on a long-standing enigma about the structure of a protein related to the Hepatitis B virus were reported in Structure, and may lead to new therapeutic strategies for chronic liver disease. Read more.
Adolescents May Lose Hepatitis B Virus Protection Despite Vaccination as Infants
Jan 14 – New research presented in Hepatology reveals that a significant number of adolescents lose their protection from hepatitis B virus infection despite having received a complete vaccination series as infants. Read more.
716 Patients at VA May Have Been Exposed to HIV, Hepatitis
Jan 14 – More than 700 patients at the Buffalo VA Medical Center may have been exposed to HIV, hepatitis B or hepatitis C because of the inadvertent reuse of insulin pens intended to be used only once. Read more.
Hepatitis B treatment and Care in the UK Need to Evolve to Keep Pace With the Global Epidemic
Jan 14 – “Persistent HBV infection has changed its face in the UK,” research published in the online edition of Clinical Infectious Diseases shows. The study found considerable diversity in viral genotype and patient ethnicity, and that only one in three patients were taking therapy. Read more.
Most Hepatitis B Patients Who Respond to Tenofovir Show Improved Liver Health at 5 Years
Jan 7 – Treatment with tenofovir remains safe and effective over 5 years, and people who achieve sustained viral load suppression experience improvement in liver histology, including regression of fibrosis and cirrhosis, according to study findings described in The Lancet. Read more.
Treatment of HBeAg Positive Chronic Hepatitis B: Interferon or Nucleoside Analogues
Jan 7 – A review of clinical aspects of the management of chronic HBV with either interferon or nucleoside analogues are featured in Liver International, proceedings of 6th Paris Hepatitis Conference, International Conference on the Management of Patients with Viral Hepatitis. Read more.
Hepatitis B Vaccine 95% Effective in Reducing Cancer, Other Ailments
Jan 7 – A medical practitioner based in Abuja, Abiodun Ajayi, has called on Nigerians to adhere to WHO’s recommendation of Hepatitis B vaccination to prevent acute and chronic HBV and liver cancer cases. Read more.
Archived News Stories
*Please Note: Links to archived articles may have expired. If you are unable to access the page via the links below, try searching the HBV Research List Archives at http://archive.mail-list.com/hbv_research/
Archives: 2012 | 2011 | 2010 | 2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005
