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  • Buyer Beware: When Someone Claims to Have a Hepatitis B Cure, It's a Counterfeit Drug

    … its extract silymarin. The NIH milk thistle report found, “Previous laboratory studies suggested that milk thistle may benefit the liver by protecting and promoting the growth of liver cells, fighting oxidation (a chemical process that can damage cells), and inhibiting inflammation. However, results from small clinical trials of milk thistle for liver diseases have been mixed, and two rigorously designed studies found no benefit.” A true scientific evaluation is what we need to hear, even when we desperately want milk thistle or another supplement to be the cure. There is no magic bullet that is going to cure hepatitis B. It is a complex infection with no cure at this time. Experts are making great strides and hope to find a cure in the next few years, but now, this is the time to let our heads make healthcare decisions, instead of our vulnerable and hopeful hearts. So be patient. Don’t fall for false promises, even when they’re accompanied by professional-looking photographs and emotional testimonials. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. More information about counterfeit medications: Quality Matters: Battling the Epidemic of Illegal Online Drug Sellers and Counterfeit Medicines  Of the 35,000-50,000 active online drug sellers, 97 percent do not comply with U.S. laws and 50 percent of medicines sold online are fake or counterfeit, according to the Alliance for Safe Online Pharmacies (ASOP Global), an international non-profit headquartered in Washington, D.C. with operations in Europe and Asia. These counterfeit medications are often manufactured in unsafe conditions; contain too little, too much or no active pharmaceutical ingredients; and, in many cases, have been found to contain dangerous substances like floor wax, rat poison, concrete, chalk, boric acid, road tar, paint, anti-freeze, and other toxins. This means that consumers worldwide are just a click away from buying products that may cause harm, treatment failure or even death. Read

    http://www.hepb.org/blog/buyer-beware-when-someone-claims-to-have-a-hepatitis-b-cure-its-a-counterfeit-drug/
  • Hepatitis B ECHO Hubs

    Hepatitis B ECHO Program Project ECHO is case-based learning sessions between HBV specialists and primary care providers. Below is a list of ECHOs available from a wide range of organizations.  Title  Hub time zone Hub sponsor ECHO schedule   Registration link East Coast ET Hepatitis B Foundation; Hep B United Philadelphia 4th Thursday of every month – 12:00PM – 1:00PM https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZYsc-mrqjMjEtZaabsz-qr5iRYvVjKq75ec West Coast PT Hep B Free San Francisco Bay Area 3rd Tuesday of every month, 12:30pm-1:30pm https://www.sfhepbfree.org/single-post/hepatitis-b-echo-program Hawaii Hawaii Time Hawaii Health and Harm Reduction Center; Hep Free Hawaii Every Monday, 12:00pm-1:15pm, 8/22/22-12/12/22 https://www.hawaiilearning.org/ Gulf Coast CT Texas Heart Institute with Baylor St. Luke Medical Center 3rd Wednesday of every month – 12:00PM-1:00PM https://redcap.research.bcm.edu/redcap/surveys/?s=TCJ7WC74A7 UK GMT King’s College Hospital: HBV-HDV ECHO Once monthly, dates vary, 1:00pm-2:00pm   Alaska AKDT Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium 2nd Tuesday of every month – 8:00am-9:00am https://www.anthc.org/what-we-do/clinical-and-research-services/hep/liverconnect/ Seattle, WA PT University of Washington Viral Hepatitis ECHO     Lagos, Nigeria    LAGOS VIRAL HEPATITIS ECHO   Dr Ganiyat OYELEKE and Prof Lesi                       drgoyeleke@yahoo.com South Africa   University of Cape Town, Viral Hepatitis in Sub-Saharan Africa   Wendy SprearmanG-ECHO clinics: Chris KassianidesProject administrator:Cheryl Valentine cheryl.valentine@uct.ac.za Canada EDT University Health Network Ontario, Liver ECHO Every Monday, 12:00pm-1:30pm https://uhn.echoontario.ca/Our-Programs/Liver Ethiopia Kenya Time Gastroenterology Sub-Saharan Africa ECHO Clinic St.Paul's Hospital Millenium Medical College Bi-weekly 4pm 2nd and 4th Tuesday   https://echo.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJ0vd-6sqDgqE93zDlc9TkTbASlHWxW4Ss-z Professors Hailemichael Desalegn and M Topazian; drhailedy@gmail.com United States EST dkbmed Weekly sessions for 4 weeks from 12-1 pm EST:  Tues: 4/25, 5/2, 5/9, 5/16 Thur: 4/27, 5/4, 5/18, 5/25 https://echo.dkbmed.com/programs/4#schedule-tab If you would like your ECHO featured on this page, please email us at info@hepb.org. 

    https://www.hepb.org/resources-and-support/online-training/hepatitis-b-echo-hubs/
  • Shop Carefully for the Best Insurance Plan When You Have Hepatitis B

    Image courtesy of digitalart at FreeDigitalPhotos.net With the cost of health care and prescription drugs soaring, it’s important to choose health insurance carefully when you take hepatitis B medications and need frequent check-ups and lab tests. In the next two months, Medicare recipients, people who get insurance through their jobs and consumers buying coverage through the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) will be selecting insurance plans during open enrollment. If you take antivirals or interferon and have frequent lab tests and doctor visits, it’s important that you select the plan that: Has your specialist or primary care doctor and lab in its network, And offers the lowest copay for the drugs you need. If you're 65 or older, finding the best Medicare plan is essential to your health and wallet, especially when you're on treatment. Medicare Part D covers prescription drugs. You select from numerous plans based on where you live and what drugs you take. For example, if you're shopping for a drug plan to cover tenofovir (Viread), plan prices can vary by more than $1,000 a year. You have until Dec. 7 to sign up for the Medicare coverage plan that will give you the best deal in 2016.  This is what Medicare offers: Part A is free. It covers most of hospital and nursing home care, however you still pay for some deductibles and copays. For example, if you go to a hospital for a liver biopsy, you will pay a portion of that cost if you only have Part A. Part B covers doctor visits, lab tests and even the hepatitis B vaccine. It costs about $104.90 a month and the amount rises with your Social Security income. There is a deductible and you pay a 20 percent copay for many services. Part D covers your drug costs and it's optional, but if you're on antivirals, interferon or other medications, it's critical. You pay about $60 a month for coverage and you shop online at the Medicare website for the drug plan that fits your prescription needs best. You'll have a

    http://www.hepb.org/blog/shop-carefully-for-the-best-insurance-plan-when-you-have-hepatitis-b/
  • Hepatitis B Foundation president responds to Janssen decision on the company’s hepatitis B drug development program

    The Johnson & Johnson subsidiary is ending efforts produce a treatment for hepatitis B, a life-threatening infection that impacts 300 million people worldwide. Doylestown, Pa., Feb. 10, 2023 – Hepatitis B Foundation President Chari A. Cohen, DrPH, MPH, today expressed frustration that Janssen has decided to shut down its program to develop a drug to treat hepatitis B, which is incurable and infects millions in the U.S. and globally. Industry publications have reported that J&J plans to walk away from its hepatitis B and D portfolio and pull out of the hepatitis B space. “This is, of course, disappointing news for us in the hepatitis B and D world,” Dr. Cohen said. “And this serves as a reminder to us, too. Companies operate at the whim of their leadership team and are not beholden to any specific cause. We have seen companies leave the field before, and will likely see this happen again in the future. This is why it is so important that the Hepatitis B Foundation and the Baruch S. Blumberg Institute are here. We remain steadfast to the cause of hepatitis B. We will always be here, and will be needed, to advocate for those living with hepatitis B, and raise our voices to prioritize hepatitis B, D and liver cancer.” Timothy M. Block, PhD, founding president of the Hepatitis B Foundation and its research arm, the Baruch S. Blumberg Institute, is a virologist who has been working in hepatitis B for more than three decades. “We entered 2023 with a robust and diverse pipeline of potential treatments for hepatitis B, but this news demonstrates the precarious nature of the pipeline,” Dr. Block said. “The pipeline is only as rich and diverse as marketplace forces and commercial interests permit. That’s why our work at the Hepatitis B Foundation and Blumberg Institute is so important; we do not waver from our primary, original mission, which is to find a cure for hepatitis B and support scientists worldwide who are also doing this critical research.” J&J’s lead drug candidate was RNA interference therapeutic JNJ-3989, which the company had been developing with Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals. The Foundation provides an online database of drugs in development for hepatitis B and D, called Drug Watch, which is consulted daily by thousands of people living with hepatitis B, care providers, health care professionals, scientists, pharmaceutical professionals, industry analysts, regulators and others. As the nation’s leading hepatitis B advocacy and research organization, the Hepatitis B Foundation is one of the most active proponents of improving hepatitis B screening, prevention and treatment of the disease. In the U.S., up to 2.4 million people are chronically infected and worldwide about 300 million people have the disease. Hepatitis B is the most common serious liver infection in the world. It is caused by the hepatitis B virus that attacks and injures the liver. Each year up to 1 million people die from hepatitis B worldwide, even though it is preventable and treatable. Hepatitis B is a “silent epidemic” because most people do not have symptoms when they are newly or chronically infected. Thus, they can unknowingly infect others and continue the spread of hepatitis B. For people who are chronically infected but don’t have any symptoms, their livers are still being silently damaged, which can develop into serious liver disease such as cirrhosis or liver cancer. About the Hepatitis B Foundation: We are the nation’s leading nonprofit organization solely dedicated to finding a cure for hepatitis B and improving the quality of life for those affected worldwide through research, education and patient advocacy. Founded in 1991, the Hepatitis B Foundation is based in Doylestown, Pa., with offices in Washington, D.C., and Philadelphia. To learn more, go to www.hepb.org, read our blog at hepb.org/blog, follow us on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook (@hepbfoundation) or call us at 215-489-4900. To donate, contact Jean Holmes at 215-489-4900 or jean.holmes@hepb.org. About the Baruch S. Blumberg Institute:  An independent, nonprofit research organization, the Blumberg Institute was launched in 2003 by the Hepatitis B Foundation to advance its research mission. Today, the Institute is one of the nation’s leading centers for translational research in hepatitis B and liver cancer. The Institute supports drug discovery, biomarker discovery and translational biotechnology around common research themes such as chronic hepatitis, liver disease and liver cancer in an environment conducive to interaction, collaboration and focus. The Blumberg Institute is located in the Pennsylvania Biotechnology Center, which it manages, near Doylestown, Pa. For more, go to www.blumberginstitute.org and follow us on Twitter @BlumbergInstit1.  

    https://www.hepb.org/news-and-events/news-2/hepatitis-b-foundation-president-responds-to-janssen-decision-on-the-companys-hepatitis-b-drug-development-program/
  • Summertime Strategies to Protect Your Liver: Enjoy a Dose of Sunlight and Vitamin D

    Grace Wong, associate professor of gastroenterology and hepatology at The Chinese University of Hong Kong Catching 15 minutes of sunlight three times a week and drinking water instead of sugary drinks are two of the easiest and most natural ways to protect against liver cancer and other types of liver damage when you live with hepatitis B. Sunlight doesn’t cure hepatitis B, but it spurs production of vitamin D, which appears to help prevent a number of cancers and other liver problems. The liver appears to play a vital role in metabolizing vitamin D, and when you have healthy vitamin D levels, your body’s cells behave and grow normally. But when you have a vitamin D deficiency, communication between your cells breaks down, which can lead to abnormal cell growth and cancer. Studies are finding that hepatitis B patients who have vitamin D deficiency often have higher viral loads and rates of liver damage, cirrhosis and cancer, which is troubling because one-third to one-half of people with hepatitis B are deficient in vitamin D. A recent study, published in the Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology, followed 426 hepatitis B patients for more than 13 years. Those with vitamin D deficiency had twice the number of “clinical events,” including liver damage and cancer, than patients with normal vitamin D levels. Patients with normal vitamin D levels were also twice as likely to seroconvert and lose HBeAg and develop “e” antibodies (called HBeAg seroconversion), which leads to lower levels of hepatitis B virus (viral load) in their bodies. But don’t reach for those vitamin D supplements just yet. Grace Hong, associate professor of gastroenterology and hepatology at The Chinese University of Hong Kong and lead author of the study, says supplements aren’t needed unless patients have serious vitamin D deficiencies. “I advise my hepatitis B patients to make life style modification to increase their vitamin D levels,” she said, which includes getting

    http://www.hepb.org/blog/summertime-strategies-to-protect-your-liver-catch-some-rays-and-avoid-sugary-drinks/
  • Four Things Fathers Affected by Hepatitis B Can Do for Themselves and Their Families

    Image courtesy of photostock at FreeDigitalPhotos.net Father’s Day, June 21, is a day to celebrate the contributions men make in their children’s lives. It’s also a good day for fathers to acknowledge how valuable they are to their families and how important it is to take care of their health. Living with chronic hepatitis B can be challenging. Here are some things dads can do to take care of themselves or family members infected with hepatitis B. 1. Get outside and soak in some sunlight and some vitamin D. People with hepatitis B who have vitamin D deficiencies have higher rates of liver damage, cirrhosis and cancer. A healthy diet provides vitamin D, but 80 percent of our vitamin D comes from 15 minutes of exposure to sunlight two to three times a week. So get outside and walk, garden, exercise and soak in some healthy sunlight. 2. Relieve your stress. Having a chronic infection is stressful. Stress can weaken your immune system, which needs to stay strong to fight hepatitis B. Here are some ways to reduce stress. Physical exercise: Get off the couch and move. Walk, play a game with your kids, mow the lawn or go to a park and shoot hoops or practice tai chi. Every type of physical activity strengthens your immune system, balances blood sugar levels, provides energy and reduces stress. Try yoga:  Yoga is a gentle way to slowly stretch your muscles, which reduces stress as it improves your posture. If you can’t get to a yoga class, buy a video and follow along, or do stretching exercises on your own. Get a massage: Yes, even men enjoy massages. They reduce stress, improve your mood and increase helpful endorphins. Keep your stress reduction program going! Whatever you find that helps reduce stress, keep at it, don’t quit after a few days or weeks. Stress will never totally go away, so give yourself permission to enjoy exercise or other relaxation practices to bring some tranquility to your life. 3. Get regular check-ups: You may worry about your

    http://www.hepb.org/blog/four-things-fathers-affected-by-hepatitis-b-can-do-for-themselves-and-their-families/
  • Protein Myths and Your Liver

    Liver-friendly diets are a common concern for those with chronic hepatitis B wishing to make healthy lifestyle choices. Protein is essential to all, but there are healthier ways to consume necessary proteins.  Please enjoy this informative blog from the Al D. Rodriguez Liver Foundation - ADRLF, on Protein Myths and Your Liver written by ToniMarie Bacala. We all love need protein – whether it be from animals or plants—protein gives us essential amino acids we need to keep our bodies strong and healthy. But how much do we really understand about protein and its effects on our organs, especially the liver? Is there such as thing as too much protein, even if its from vegetables and grains? Let’s delve into two popular protein myths and how we can ensure our protein intake is safe for our liver. Love meat? Learn more about healthy non-animal meat proteins to protect you liver and keep your body healthy. Protein is made of 20 different amino acids, but only 11 of which can be naturally synthesized by our body. The other types of protein come from the food we eat. Essentially, it’s safe to say that while protein helps in building the cell wall, strengthening muscle tissues and supporting cell functions, our body actually just needs certain types of amino acids. So myth or truth? The best source of protein is animal meat. MYTH Eating red meat requires our digestive system, as well as our liver to do a lot of work processing the heavy bulk of protein. Experts suggest limiting the amount of red meat we eat to at most one serving a day. There are other good sources of proteins like whole grains, green vegetables, nuts, peas and beans. Fruits also contain small amounts of protein. Compared to animal meat, vegetables and beans have phytochemicals, antioxidants and other nutrients. Nuts and beans containing antioxidants help the liver process the food and beverage that we take in, making it a healthier source of protein. Myth or truth? People desiring to build lean

    http://www.hepb.org/blog/protein-myths-and-your-liver/
  • Hepatitis C Coinfection

    Hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections account for a substantial proportion of liver diseases worldwide. Because the two viruses share similar modes of transmission, co-infection with the two viruses is not uncommon, though the vast majority of those coinfected with HCV and HBV acquired these viruses through intravenous drug use, unscreened blood products, or exposure to dirty needles and unsterilized medical equipment The exact number of patients co-infected with HCV and HBV is unknown and may be underestimated because the hepatitis C virus can become the "dominant" liver virus, and reduces hepatitis B virus levels to be nearly undetectable. In patients with chronic hepatitis B, estimates of the rates of HCV co-infection vary from 9% to 30%. The primary concern with HBV/HCV co-infection is that it can lead to more severe liver disease and an increased risk for progression to liver cancer (HCC). Treatment of HBV/HCV coinfected patients can represent a challenge. AASLD recommends starting people with HBV/HCV coinfection, who meet the criteria for treatment of active HBV infection, on therapy at the same time or before starting direct acting antiviral (DAA) for HCV treatment. Patients with low or undetectable HBV DNA levels should be monitored at regular intervals during hepatitis C treatments. Those requiring treatment for HBV should be placed on therapy based on AASLD’s HBV treatment guidelines. Those with HCV who have resolved the HBV virus, whether spontaneously resolving the infection or following treatment, should be monitored for HBV reactivation while on DAA therapy. Visit HCVguidelines.org for additional information.  For more information on the treatment and management of a Hepatitis B/Hepatitis C coinfection, visit the Cleveland Clinic website at: http://www.clevelandclinicmeded.com/medicalpubs/diseasemanagement/hepatology/hepatitis-C/ 

    https://www.hepb.org/what-is-hepatitis-b/hepatitis-c-co-infection/
  • Hepatitis B Facts and Figures

    Hepatitis B is a global public health threat and the world’s most common serious liver infection. It is up to 100 times more infectious than the HIV/AIDS virus. It also is the primary cause of liver cancer (also known as hepatocellular carcinoma or HCC), which is the second-leading cause of cancer deaths in the world. Hepatitis B Around the World Two billion people have been infected with the hepatitis B virus (one out of three people). Approximately 1.5 million people become newly infected each year. Almost 300 million people are chronically infected. Approximately 10% of infected individuals are diagnosed. An estimated 820,000 people die each year from hepatitis B and related complications such as liver cancer.¹ Approximately two people die each minute from hepatitis B. Hepatitis B In the United States Up to 2.4 million people are chronically infected. Rates of acute hepatitis B infection have risen 50%-450% in states impacted by the opioid crisis. For many countries, chronic hepatitis B rates are higher in males than females and have declined over the past three decades, but no consistent pattern is seen between rates for U.S. immigrants and residents.  More than 50% of people living with chronic hepatitis B are of Asian, Pacific Islander or African descent. Hepatitis B and the resulting liver cancer are among the largest health disparities for these groups. The weighted average chronic hepatitis B prevalence for all foreign-born people in the U.S. in 2018 was about 3%. Around 59% of those U.S. residents with chronic hepatitis B in the U.S. in 2018 emigrated from Asia, 19% from the Americas and 15% from Africa. Only 25% of infected individuals are diagnosed. Thousands of people die each year from hepatitis B.   1. In 2019, there were approximately 820 000 [450 000–950 000] people who died from hepatitis B-related causes globally: Web Annex 1. Key data at a glance. In: Global progress report on HIV, viral hepatitis and sexually transmitted infections, 2021. Accountability for the global health sector strategies 2016–2021: actions for impact. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2021. License: CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO.  

    https://www.hepb.org/what-is-hepatitis-b/what-is-hepb/facts-and-figures/
  • Visiting Your Doctor

    When you first visit your doctor, he/she will take your medical history and give you a physical exam. They will also take some blood for tests and perhaps order an ultrasound of the liver. To prepare for your doctor’s visit, take a list of questions (see below) with you bring copies of your previous blood test results invite a friend or family member along for support try to take notes while you talk to the doctor so that you have important information written down Questions to Ask Your Doctor What kind of hepatitis B infection do I have: a new "acute" infection, or a "chronic" infection? Could you please explain each hepatitis B blood test result, and any additional test results (ultrasound)? Please make copies of my test results for my own personal files. Where can I get my family, spouse or sexual partner tested and vaccinated for hepatitis B? What do I need to do to protect them until they are completely vaccinated? Am I a good candidate for treatment? If not, why not? If yes, please explain why and tell me about the treatment options? If I am not eligible for medical treatment, what do I need to do to monitor my hepatitis B?  Do I need to be regularly screened for liver cancer? If yes, how often?  Could you tell me about clinical trials? Do you offer any clinical trials for hepatitis B? If so, could you please explain them to me? For young women: If I want to have children, should I wait to start treatment? If I need to start treatment now, at one point can I consider having children? How will having hepatitis B affect my job or ability to work? How will having hepatitis B affect my health insurance or my ability to get health insurance? Here are the names of the medications that I currently take – are they safe for my liver? What over the counter medications or herbal supplements can I safely take for pain, cold symptoms, etc.? Should I be tested for other liver diseases, such as hepatitis C or D? Should I be vaccinated to protect myself against hepatitis A?  

    https://www.hepb.org/treatment-and-management/adults-with-hepatitis-b/visiting-your-doctor/