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• CTC Foundation of Princeton donating $100,000 to Hepatitis B Foundation

  Doylestown, Pa., Feb. 3, 2022 – The CTC Foundation of Princeton, N.J., is donating $100,000 over five years to the Hepatitis B Foundation, a global nonprofit organization that is engaged in advocacy, education and research to combat hepatitis B, the most common serious liver infection in the world. “The CTC Foundation chooses to support the Hepatitis B Foundation because of the extraordinary people who founded it decades ago, the vision and commitment of the leadership team they assembled, and the breadth of impact this dedicated group continues to cultivate,” the CTC Foundation’s Board of Trustees said. “We believe that multi-year support is critical for the Foundation, to know that there is funding available to execute initiatives in their strategic plan to end hepatitis B.” Chari Cohen, DrPH, MPH, senior vice president of the Hepatitis B Foundation, said: “We are very appreciative of this generous support and the continued commitment of the CTC Foundation. This donation will help support our unique patient engagement program, so that we can continue to improve the quality of life of people living with hepatitis B, and ensure that their voices play a meaningful role in drug and clinical trial development.” Jean Holmes, MBA, the Hepatitis B Foundation’s vice president for institutional advancement, said: “All of us at the Hepatitis B Foundation are thrilled that the CTC Foundation has worked with us to commit to five years of support. This is a key contribution to our Leading the Way to a Cure campaign and we are very grateful for their faith and generosity.” The CTC Foundation is a small family organization with roots in the Mid-Atlantic area. Its mission is to promote educational, cultural and scientific endeavors through charitable giving. About Hepatitis B:  A potentially fatal disease caused by the hepatitis B virus, it attacks and injures the liver. Each year up to 1 million people die from hepatitis B worldwide, even though it is preventable and treatable. The number of adults living in the U.S. who have chronic hepatitis B infection may be as high as 2.4 million, which is nearly three times greater than the federal government’s official estimate, according to a new report by a team of public health experts, scientists and physicians. 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 an office in Washington, D.C. 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.

  https://www.hepb.org/news-and-events/news-2/ctc-foundation-of-princeton-donating-100000-to-hepatitis-b-foundation/
• Chronic hepatitis B is far more prevalent among U.S. residents than previously reported

  A new study says about 2.4 million U.S. residents may be infected with the disease. Doylestown, March 10, 2021 – The number of adults living in the U.S. who have chronic hepatitis B infection may be as high as 2.4 million, which is nearly three times greater than the federal government’s official estimate, according to a new analysis by a team of public health experts, scientists and physicians. The authors conducted a meta-analysis, calculating updated prevalence estimates among foreign-born persons in the U.S. by country of birth. A report on the analysis, “An Updated Assessment of Chronic Hepatitis B Prevalence among Foreign-Born Persons Living in the United States,” is published in Hepatology, the journal of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases. The authors combined data from 2,800 published studies, representing 112 million people from 99 countries, and triangulated the data with immigration patterns. The resulting prevalence estimate of up to 2.4 million people living with chronic hepatitis B is almost three times higher than the estimate of 840,000 from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), a program of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the federal government’s official source for health statistics. “Using our robust study methodology, we believe that 2.4 million is a much more accurate estimate of the number of people living with chronic hepatitis B in the U.S.," Dr. Robert Wong, primary author of the study and clinical associate professor (affiliated), Stanford University School of Medicine, said. "However, the importance of continuing to raise awareness of chronic hepatitis B and the need for more effective implementation of screening and vaccination programs are key to success in our viral hepatitis eradication efforts.”  Dr. Robert Gish, lead study author and medical director of the Hepatitis B Foundation, said: “The NHANES estimate underrepresents foreign-born populations, even though NHANES attempts to oversample Asians. The lack of inclusion of foreign-born, limited English proficient individuals leads to an underestimated prevalence.” The new study suggests that the number of people living with chronic hepatitis B in the U.S. has increased since 2011. Yet diagnosis and treatment rates have not greatly improved over the past decade. According to Chari Cohen, senior vice president of the Hepatitis B Foundation: “Most infected individuals in the U.S. remain undiagnosed and untreated. Risk-based screening guidelines are almost impossible to implement, and we are failing millions of infected people.” The Hepatitis B Foundation called for universal hepatitis B screening in the U.S. in 2018, as the only screening strategy that will help us make progress towards the 2030 goal of eliminating hepatitis B in this country. # # #

  https://www.hepb.org/news-and-events/news-2/chronic-hepatitis-b-is-far-more-prevalent-among-u-s-residents-than-previously-reported/
• Living with Hepatitis B: Hepatitis B Foundation Launches Patient Storytelling Campaign

  National nonprofit creates program to help people living with hepatitis B share their stories DOYLESTOWN, Pa. (Oct. 3 2016)–The Hepatitis B Foundation today announced the launch of a campaign to more effectively share with the public the impact that living with hepatitis B has on individual lives and to put a human face on this serious liver disease. The goal of the Hepatitis B Foundation Patient Storytelling Program is to use the real voices of every-day people living with or affected by hepatitis B to create a national resource of personal stories. The program aims to raise awareness of the disease, decrease the associated stigma and discrimination, and promote the importance of increased testing and referral to care for hepatitis B.Participants will be recruited from across the country and invited to attend a four-day digital storytelling workshop where they will develop their stories as a short video and then complete training to share their story and videos in their own communities and at national advocacy events. The announcement of the new nationwide initiative comes as the United States observes Liver Cancer Awareness Month during October. Chronic infection with the hepatitis B virus is the leading cause of liver cancer worldwide, and liver cancer is the second leading cause of all cancer deaths globally. In the U.S., liver cancer is one of three cancersthatis increasing in incidence while the rates of most other types of cancerare declining or stabilizing. “What better way to acknowledge the burden of the world’s most common, serious liver infection than by creating a program to help people affected by hepatitis B share their stories,” said Joan Block, RN, BSN,executive director and co-founderof the Hepatitis B Foundation. “Our goal is to make hepatitis B an urgent public health priority, and to increase awareness about the enormous impact of this disease on individual lives through personal storytelling.” With educational grants from Arbutus Biopharma, focused on developing new hepatitis B therapeutics, and Dynavax Technologies, focused on developing a new adult hepatitis B vaccine, the Foundation will partner with StoryCenter, a nonprofit organization that started the global digital storytelling movement. The Hepatitis B Foundation Patient Storytelling Program will be completed and ready to share with the public by May 2017, to mark Hepatitis Awareness Month. If you have been impacted by hepatitis B, contact the Hepatitis B Foundation at info@hepb.org or by calling 215-489-4900 to find out how you can share your story. About the Hepatitis B Foundation: The Hepatitis B Foundation is 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.To learn more, go to www.hepb.org, read our blog at www.hepb.org/blog, follow us on Twitter @HepBFoundation, find us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/hepbfoundation or call 215-489-4900. ###

  https://www.hepb.org/news-and-events/news-2/living-with-hepatitis-b-hepatitis-b-foundation-launches-patient-storytelling-campaign/
• Advice for Parents

  Parents face a whole host of issues when making the decision to raise children. A child with hepatitis B presents new challenges, but they are manageable if you are well informed and use common sense. The Hepatitis B Foundation has compiled a list of useful guidelines that may be helpful. Since each family is unique, and each community is different, please adjust your decisions accordingly. Avoid the Spread of Hepatitis B All parents, siblings, and other household members should be vaccinated. Extended family members, childcare providers, family, friends, and others should consider vaccination if they have frequent and close contact with your child. Read more. Know the Facts If people are unfamiliar with hepatitis B, there is a possibility they will become alarmed when told your child has chronic hepatitis B. The key to reducing people's anxiety is to give them clear, simple facts. Hepatitis B is not transmitted casually. It cannot be spread through the sharing of toys, sneezing, coughing, spitting, or hugging. Hepatitis B is spread through blood and infected bodily fluids. Therefore, it could be spread through bites and scratches that result in broken skin. Inform people that there is a safe hepatitis B vaccine and that the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that all infants and children up to age 18 years be vaccinated.  Know the Risk In making the decision about telling others, be sure to consider whether your child is at high or low risk for exposing others to his or her blood (e.g. consider age, frequency of accidents, nosebleeds, biting, etc.). Consider the degree of risk a person has for exposure (frequent vs. occasional contact), and whether a person or child may have already been vaccinated. Although there is no specific law that addresses hepatitis B, the Americans with Disabilities Act (1991) is a federal law that may protect children and adults with hepatitis B from discrimination. Telling Others Use common sense in deciding who you should tell about your child's hepatitis B. Once you tell, you can't take it back. So take your time and choose wisely as you decide who can be trusted with this information. Fortunately, most children are now vaccinated against hepatitis B, so the risk of your child infecting others is reduced. Most states also require the hepatitis B vaccine for school entry. Although you do not necessarily have a "duty" to inform people of your child's hepatitis B, there may be situations where it is wise to disclose your child's diagnosis. If possible, give literature to reinforce your facts. The Hepatitis B Foundation publishes free educational literature that you can request to give other parents, teachers, or school nurses. Visit Our Resources. What Should You Say? Know your facts, use simple explanations, and remain calm. Emphasize that your child is healthy and poses no risk if blood accidents are handled carefully. Remind people (and health care providers) that blood is a two-way street. Other children may have unknown infections that can be spread to your child, therefore, the blood of all children should be handled carefully. In addition, the hepatitis B vaccine is recommended for all infants and children up to 18 years. Therefore, most children should already be vaccinated and protected against hepatitis B. Universal Precautions The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommends that everyone use "universal precautions" for any accident. This means that the blood and bodily fluids of all adults and children should be treated as if it is potentially infectious. Universal precautions (or "standard precautions") should be followed for ALL accidents, not just the blood of those with known chronic hepatitis B infection. Cleaning Up Blood Spills Avoid direct contact with blood, vomit, diarrhea and other bodily secretions, and ensure that others will not come into contact with them either. Clean all spills with a diluted solution of bleach (mix one part fresh household bleach with nine parts water). Discard cleaning materials into a plastic bag and tie securely. Dispose of properly in the garbage can. Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and warm water. PKIDs Pediatric Hepatitis Report Additional information for parents can be found in the Pediatric Hepatitis Report, which is the first-ever, comprehensive resource about children living with hepatitis B and C. Information about hepatitis B, from transmission to diagnosis, to treatment and civil rights protections is included in this excellent publication. It is published by the national non-profit PKIDs (Parents of Kids with Infectious Diseases).    

  https://www.hepb.org/treatment-and-management/children-with-hepatitis-b/advice-for-parents/
• Baruch S. Blumberg Institute Recruits World-Class Hepatitis B Scientists

  ‘All-star’ researchers intend to develop breakthrough therapies for the viral liver infection within 3 years DOYLESTOWN, Pa. (March 2015) – The Baruch S. Blumberg Institute (www.blumberginstitute.org) has recruited a new team of nationally renowned scientists to focus exclusively on research to develop a cure for hepatitis B, a move that nearly triples its research capacity and has created the largest concentration of nonprofit scientists focusing solely on hepatitis B and liver cancer in the United States. Four principal scientists – Drs. Timothy Block, Jinhong Chang, Ju Tao Guo and Ying-Hsiu Su – and 16 of their staff members and laboratory researchers joined the Baruch S. Blumberg Institute full-time on March 1. Establishing this first-rate scientific team of leading hepatitis B researchers lays the groundwork to support an aggressive plan to develop breakthrough therapies to combat the virus within the next three years. “By bringing leading researchers in the field together at its headquarters, the Hepatitis B Foundation, through its research arm, the Baruch S. Blumberg Institute, is able to concentrate their joint efforts to finding new treatments and, ultimately, a cure,” said Joel Rosen, Chairman of the Foundation’s board. “In the twelve years that I have been a member of the foundation’s board of directors, I have never been more optimistic that a cure is within reach. It’s an exciting time for everyone involved.” The researchers will build upon recent discoveries that have accelerated the momentum for developing a cure for hepatitis B and liver cancer. Those breakthroughs include the development of new screening methods to search for effective drugs, new ways to treat hepatitis B using different approaches to shut down the virus, a new blood biomarker that aids in the early detection of liver cancer, and a promising drug that selectively kills liver cancer cells in animal studies. “This is an incredibly exciting time in hepatitis B research, with the field poised to develop a cure. The Blumberg Institute is fortunate to have attracted Tim Block and his colleagues, positioning the nonprofit institute to maintain its world-class stature in hepatitis research,” said Dr. Tom Shenk, one of the nation’s leading virologists, a professor at Princeton University, and a member of the Foundation’s Board of Directors. Block co-founded the Hepatitis B Foundation and is the president of the Blumberg Institute. For years, he has donated his time to both nonprofit entities, working full-time as a professor of Microbiology and Immunology at Drexel University College of Medicine, where he was Director of the Drexel Institute for Biotechnology and Virology Research. He has left that post in order to dedicate all of his time and focus to the work of the Blumberg Institute. “The years that we all have spent working towards a cure for hepatitis B have laid the groundwork for this final phase,” said Block. “We are committing everything we have, every resource at our disposal, to developing the therapies that will improve the lives of the millions of people worldwide who live with the hepatitis B virus every day, as well as the risk of dying prematurely from its most fatal consequence, liver cancer.” With promising drugs in the research pipeline, the Hepatitis B Foundation and the Blumberg Institute have begun exploring relationships with companies that can take those discoveries from the lab to the clinic, where they can benefit people worldwide. “The fact that Dr. Tim Block and other world-class scientists have chosen to join the Blumberg Institute in its drive to find a cure for hepatitis B speaks volumes about the Institute’s cutting-edge science and potential to impact global health,” said Wayne Yetter, former president and CEO of the multinational pharmaceutical company Novartis U.S. and a recent addition to the Hepatitis B Foundation’s Board of Directors. In addition to the exciting implications for the world of science and medicine, the new jobs created at the Blumberg Institute are a welcome boost to the local and regional economy of Bucks County and southeast Pennsylvania. "The Blumberg Institute's recruitment of four world-class scientists and their staff, including Dr. Timothy Block, is great news for this community,” said Bucks County state Sen. Charles McIlhinney, a longtime supporter of the organization. “The Blumberg Institute, which manages and is located at the Pennsylvania Biotechnology Center, has been responsible for breakthrough discoveries coupled with spectacular jobs and company creation, right here in Bucks County. This is the kind of growth we need.”

  https://www.hepb.org/news-and-events/baruch-s-blumberg-institute-recruits-world-class-hepatitis-b-scientists/
• Hepatitis Awareness Quiz

  We are more than half way through Hepatitis Awareness month. If you have viral hepatitis, you'll likely breeze through this short, quiz... How about your significant other, family members, and friends? This is a great opportunity to help raise awareness and educate others. Be sure to let us know how you did!

  http://www.hepb.org/blog/hepatitis-awareness-quiz/
• Why Vaccinate Infants Against Hepatitis B?

  Sadly, out of all age groups, it is infants and very young children that are at the greatest risk for acquiring a chronic, life-long infection with hepatitis B.  In fact 90% of babies exposed to HBV will become chronically infected, and will live with the virus for the rest of their lives.  This includes mother-to-child transmission, and horizontal transmission from close contacts.  This is why the first dose of the hepatitis B vaccine is recommended before leaving the hospital.  The vaccine is safe and effective.  Choosing to vaccinate is an option those of us with HBV infected children would have LOVED to have. Hepatitis B is a silent disease.  Forty percent of people living with HBV have no idea how they became infected.  Others have not yet been diagnosed.   Many likely acquired it at birth, or early exposure, and have had the virus smoldering for decades.  They may find out about it in routine blood tests, or from the Red Cross following a blood donation.  Hepatitis B is non-discriminating, although it is more prevalent in certain high risk groups.   Sometimes being part of a high risk group is as simple as having a parent born in a country where HBV is endemic.  Hepatitis B is 100 times more infectious than HIV, and yet many people say they would get vaccinated against HIV if a vaccine existed.  Why not hepatitis B? So why have your infant vaccinated at birth?  It just makes sense.  How can you be assured all house-hold contacts are not infected?  War heroes get infected, as do health care workers, and other loving family members – mommies, daddies, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins.  Parents go to work, and little ones go to day care.  They play at the neighbor’s house or with friends at pre-school.  Blood spills occur and sometimes they’re not properly managed, or even noticed.   Boo-boo's come uncovered and little friends touch.  Sometimes "love-bites" are exchanged much to the dismay of parents.  Even the most

  http://www.hepb.org/blog/why-vaccinate-infants-against-hepatitis-b/
• Hepatitis B and Chocolate

  Planning on digging into your favorite dark-chocolate stash, or biting the ears off of a dark-chocolate bunny this weekend?  Dark chocolate is popping up everywhere.  Even some old favorites have a new, dark chocolate wrapper, replacing the now-passé milk chocolate.  Recently, studies have extolled the benefits of dark chocolate, and how it potentially prevents heart disease, reduces the risk of brain damage after a stroke, lowers the risk of heart failure, lowers blood pressure, reduces heart disease, has anti-cancer benefits, slows dementia, raises libido, and last but not least, is mood enhancing.  What about those suffering hepatitis B associated liver disease? Last year there was a study out of Spain that investigated the benefits of dark chocolate to patients with liver disease – specifically patients with cirrhosis.  Cirrhosis causes portal pressure to rise, potentially resulting in damage to blood vessels in the liver.  Eating causes an additional rise in pressure, which becomes more dangerous as liver disease progresses.  Half of the study participants were given white chocolate, and the other dark chocolate.  The dark chocolate group saw a larger decrease in the blood pressure of the liver, and increased blood flow.  Keep in mind that this was a small study with only 21 participants. The good news is that dark chocolate, specifically the cocoa component, is rich in antioxidants called flavonoids, and other beneficial components such as  phenylethylamine, theobromine,  anandamide, magnesium, copper, and vitamins E and B.  That's certainly a mouth-full, but it is these key components that provide all the benefits of chocolate. Here’s the bad news.  Many of us enjoy milk chocolate, or even the dreaded white chocolate, which has little or no benefit due to the processing of the cocoa, and the resulting loss of flavonoids.   In fact, the lighter the chocolate, the fewer the benefits.  In a perfect world we would be eating unsweetened, cocoa

  http://www.hepb.org/blog/hepatitis-b-and-chocolate/
• Do You Have Hepatitis B?

  Have you been told you may be infected with  hepatitis B?  Did you get a letter following a blood donation, or receive lab results indicating infection?  It's important you relax, educate yourself, and don't let the news scare you.  The next step is to determine if you are infected, and if so, do you have an acute or chronic infection. You'll want to talk with your doctor, and have a hepatitis B blood panel run.  It is essential that you do not ignore the possibility of infection.  That being said, it’s equally important that you not panic. When you get your lab results, ask your doctor to explain them to you.  It’s possible that you are not infected, but if you are, then you will need follow-up testing.  Be sure to ask for copies of your labs for your own records.  The test results are initially confusing, so you will want to refer back to the hard-copy results. It is important to determine if you have an acute or chronic infection, but this may take some time.  If you were infected with HBV as an adult, there is a good chance you are acutely infected.  Fortunately, 90% of infected adults resolve the virus on their own. Recently infected adults may have flu-like symptoms, fatigue, yellowing of the eyes, or they may have no symptoms at all.  The answer is in the lab work.  Your doctor may run an HBc-IgM test, which will tell you if the infection is newly acquired. If it is a new infection, you will be monitored for the next one to six months to see if the HBV infection clears, and to ensure you are safe.  During this time, you are infectious to others, so it is important to practice standard precautions and ensure household members are vaccinated.  It is important to eat properly, rest, and avoid alcohol and tobacco. Talk to your doctor about the use of prescription and OTC drugs.  Hopefully your body will be able to mount an appropriate immune response, and you will be able to rid yourself of the virus.  If you remain surface antigen

  http://www.hepb.org/blog/do-you-have-hepatitis-b/
• Got Hepatitis B? B Sure to Take Care of U!

  As a mother of a child with hepatitis B, I was always concerned my child would transmit the virus to others.  One day a toddler came up and bit her in the finger and drew blood.  She was strapped into her stroller, and yet I felt guilty and fearful she might transmit the virus to “the biter”.  I rushed my child to the pediatrician, and immediately inquired about the safety of the other toddler.  He reminded me that that “blood is a two-way street for the transmission of infectious diseases”.   I should worry about MY child.   The other child was likely vaccinated since HBV vaccination is required in my state. I heeded his advice, and from that day forth I started thinking about the safety of MY child and others infected with HBV. Fortunately, hepatitis B is a vaccine preventable disease, so that does ease concerns regarding the transmission of HBV to others.  A simple three shot HBV vaccine series does the trick.  There is no reason someone should NOT be protected against a vaccine preventable virus that is 100 times more infectious than HIV!   Stop feeling guilty, and start thinking about protecting YOU! If you have HBV, Hepatitis A (HAV) can be very dangerous.   HAV is vaccine preventable.  A simple two shot series will keep all those with or without HBV safe from highly-contagious HAV. Unfortunately, there is no vaccine for HCV or HIV.  If you are HBV+, a  co-infection is complicated and dangerous, and can result in significant liver damage.  The best way to combat infection from HCV, HIV and other infectious diseases is to use standard precautions. Make standard precautions part of your everyday life.  Simple hand washing and proper avoidance of contact with someone else’s blood and body fluids is an easy way to avoid transmission of potentially life threatening illnesses, or any illness.  Cover open cuts with a Band-Aid.  Provide a barrier between someone else’s blood or body fluids, and any open wounds, sores, mucus membranes

  http://www.hepb.org/blog/got-hepatitis-b-b-sure-to-take-care-of-u/