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  • Hepatitis B Foundation: Answering Questions and Dispelling Fears One Call or Email at a Time

    … happier stories. Kamischke receives many others where people lose jobs, employment opportunities, relationships and family members due to hepatitis B. But what fuels her commitment to this job is to be able to lift the veil of fear, ignorance and guilt that can accompany a hepatitis B diagnosis. Ultimately, Kamischke says, what she strives to do is assure people that hepatitis B is not a punishment. With insight and education, it can be an opportunity to discover how to love and accept yourself and learn what really matters in relationships and life.

    http://www.hepb.org/blog/hepatitis-b-foundation-answers-questions-dispells-fears-one-email-call-time/
  • A Hero Takes the Fight Against Hepatitis B to Rural Ghana

    … that her babies would be protected against hepatitis B if they immediately received the first dose of the hepatitis B vaccine and HBIG within 12 hours of birth. But things went wrong. She had stopped taking tenofovir. Her midwife gave her an herbal remedy for hepatitis B and told her the vaccine would be enough to protect the baby. It wasn’t, the baby became infected. The mother was devastated. “Her story is not so different from many others' experiences in some parts of Ghana,” he explained. “The unavailability of HBIG and the vaccine is challenging, and even when they are available, very few can afford them.” In Ghana, and many other regions of Africa, the only vaccines available for free are combination (pentavalent) vaccines that contain vaccines for hepatitis B, diphtheria and other diseases. While economical, these combination vaccines cannot be administered until a baby is at least six weeks old, which is too late to prevent mother-to-child infection. To break the infection cycle, a single dose (monovalent) hepatitis B vaccine must be administered within 12 hours of birth. “I believe something can be done about this,” said Owusu-Ansah. "With government support, we need to expand our education campaigns to cover rural areas and take the message of hope to their doorsteps.” For more information about the Hepatitis Foundation of Ghana, visit its website or email theobald2003@yahoo.com.

    http://www.hepb.org/blog/hero-takes-fight-hepatitis-b-rural-ghana/
  • Closing a Healthcare Gap: Medicare Finally Covers Hepatitis B Testing in At-risk Seniors

    … immigrants, which included all ages, found 9.6 percent of them were chronically infected. Today, the most vulnerable Americans are infected at a rate 10-times the national average, yet until now the government didn’t cover the cost of screening them. Medicare did cover testing if there were signs of liver damage from other medical tests, but in the case of late-stage hepatitis B infections, a diagnosis often comes too late for treatment. Screening seniors for hepatitis B has a life-saving ripple effect across generations. When hepatitis B is diagnosed in a grandparent, there is an opportunity to educate, test and vaccinate their children and grandchildren who are also at risk. Under the new guidelines, which also apply to disabled people covered by Medicare Part B, Medicare will reimburse primary care providers when they screen people at risk of hepatitis B, including: People born in regions with high hepatitis B rates, including Asia, Africa, the Middle East, the Caribbean, Eastern Europe, and some areas of South and Central America. Second-generation residents who were not vaccinated at birth and whose parents come from high-risk regions, such as sub-Saharan Africa and central and Southeast Asia HIV-positive persons, injecting drug users, men who have sex with men, and Family and household members of people with chronic hepatitis B. This expanded coverage will go far to screen seniors, but gaps remain. Under the proposed guidelines, only primary care providers can order testing, but many specialists including oncologists, rheumatologists and gastroenterologists see patients at risk for hepatitis B. The expanded coverage should include them and also pharmacists. Additionally, both providers and the public need to know more about hepatitis B. Today, the majority of people infected with hepatitis B don’t know they’re infected. Patients often don’t share their true stories of activities that may put them at risk of hepatitis B, especially if it includes

    http://www.hepb.org/blog/closing-healthcare-gap-medicare-finally-covers-hepatitis-b-testing-risk-seniors/
  • In Rural Villages Across India, an Everyday Hero Works to Eradicate Hepatitis B

    Villagers in India attend an education class to learn how to prevent hepatitis B. By Christine Kukka India has one of the highest hepatitis B infection rates in the world. An estimated 40 percent of all hepatitis B deaths worldwide occur in India each year, and about 3 percent of its 1.25 billion residents – about 40 million — are chronically infected. This liver disease wrecks medical and emotional havoc in India. People diagnosed with hepatitis B struggle to attend schools, advance professionally, and even marry due to the ignorance and stigma surrounding this infection. Like many countries, India’s government is struggling to find resources to screen, immunize, and treat the millions of people affected by hepatitis B. But some people, including Surender Kumar and Sandeep Godara of New Delhi, are not waiting for the government to eradicate hepatitis B. The two men have created a nonprofit organization called Rann Bhoomi Foundation and enlisted support from various organizations and pharmaceutical companies to raise awareness about hepatitis B in some of the poorest slums and rural regions of India. Increasingly, advocates like Kumar and their grassroots army of volunteers and staff are needed to combat hepatitis B globally.Government initiatives to screen people for hepatitis B, immunize those at risk, and infected people into treatment have been woefully under-funded. Public health campaigns need resources, vaccines, and the ability to screen people—especially pregnant women to make sure their newborns are immediately immunized at birth–to prevent a new generation of hepatitis B infections. These campaigns need medical supplies and staff, but they also require knowledge about hepatitis B, compassion and an understanding of local customs to be effective. “I found out in 2010 that I was infected,” Kumar, a 34-year-old human resources executive, explained. His brother had tried to donate blood at work and was told he was infected. He told his

    http://www.hepb.org/blog/rural-villages-across-india-everyday-hero-works-eradicate-hepatitis-b/
  • Is a Cure for Hepatitis B Coming? Experts Say Yes

    … and developing ways to test new drugs. Hepatitis B Foundation President Timothy Block “With our Drexel University colleagues, we are among the first, if not the only group, to identify a small molecule that inhibits hepatitis B virus cccDNA formation,” Block noted. This is significant because inhibition of cccDNA is considered essential in achieving a complete cure. Block is confident that a drug that can accomplish this will be developed. In 2015, the Blumberg Institute licensed several of its discoveries to Arbutus Biopharma, the first company solely dedicated to hepatitis B drug discovery, and signed a three-year research agreement to work on novel approaches to developing a cure. “This unique partnership will allow us to move our discoveries more rapidly from the lab to the clinic,” Block explained. Adding to its drug arsenal, Blumberg researchers have used computer modeling to design and produce targeted drugs against hepatitis B and liver cancer. In another innovative approach, researchers are screening plant and fungal extracts from its Natural Products Collection, donated by Merck & Co. in 2011, and have already discovered two potential drugs that are active against hepatitis B. Getting close to the finish line “There has never been more optimism than right now that a cure is within reach,” said Block. “This is the goal of the Hepatitis B Foundation, so we are all very excited.” Blumberg researchers are building on recent discoveries that have heightened the momentum around finding a cure for hepatitis B and liver cancer: 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. “The years that we all have spent working towards a cure for hepatitis B have laid the groundwork for this final phase,” said Block.

    http://www.hepb.org/blog/is-a-cure-for-hepatitis-b-coming-experts-say-yes/
  • Researchers and people living with hepatitis B meet in Paris at the third Hepatitis B Community Forum

    The Forum is an annual public awareness event co-hosted by the Hepatitis B Foundation and ICE-HBV to provide a powerful conclusion to the International HBV Meeting. Paris, Sept. 22, 2022 – The perspectives of the almost 300 million people living with hepatitis B is critical as scientists and clinicians continue working toward hepatitis B cure and elimination, which was the focus of a special session that concluded the 2022 International HBV Meeting. The largest global meeting focused solely on the science of hepatitis B, the HBV Meeting was held this week (Sept. 18-22) in Paris. The Community Forum provided an opportunity for the researchers, physicians and others engaged with hepatitis B to understand the needs of the greater hepatitis B community. Just as important, it allowed those living with hepatitis B to learn about the disease and progress in treatment and a cure directly from the scientists who have made this their life’s work. This year’s Community Forum focused on the European Union, where many hurdles exist in terms of health care inequality, leading to unequal access to hepatitis B screening and treatment, health disparities, stigma and lack of prioritization to eliminate hepatitis B. Following Marinela Debu from ELPA, the European Liver Patients’ Association, organizers and partners “call for equitable access to care in the European Union, so that when the cure comes, it benefits everyone.” The Community Forum was co-hosted by the Hepatitis B Foundation and the International Coalition to Eliminate HBV (ICE-HBV). Foundation President Chari A. Cohen, DrPH, MPH, said: “We truly believe in the concept of ‘nothing about us without us.’ Finding a functional cure for hepatitis B will only be beneficial if we address the structural challenges already faced by people living with hepatitis B.” Fabien Zoulim, MD, PhD, chair of ICE-HBV said, “The forum has become an integral part of the annual international meeting. Inclusion of this audience is pivotal to the success of any progress, which is why the just concluded Community Forum is an essential part of the HBV meeting.” Findings from this year’s Community Forum highlight that, while there is much progress being made towards finding therapies that could lead to functional cure for many people living with hepatitis B, there is still much work to be done to accomplish equitable care. Improved screening systems will be required to ensure an equitable access to cure.

    https://www.hepb.org/news-and-events/news-2/researchers-and-people-living-with-hepatitis-b-meet-in-paris-at-the-third-hepatitis-b-community-forum/
  • Run4TeamHepB Runner Spotlight: Catherine Freeland

    We’re thrilled to share that our Run4TeamHepB is out there training and training for the TCS New York City Marathon taking place on Nov. 6, 2022! Over the coming weeks, we’ll be highlighting each one of our dedicated runners so you can meet the team and join them raising awareness and funds for those living with Hep B. Feel free to share these posts to help get the word out! First up…meet Catherine! Who: Catherine Freeland What: An avid runner who by day works at the Hepatitis B Foundation and by night laces up her sneaks to train and continue to raise awareness. Where: Resides in Philadelphia When: Nov. 6 will mark Catherine’s 6th marathon Why: Catherine says "I am running the NYC marathon for the amazing and inspirational people living with hepatitis B- especially the #justB storytellers who inspire me to work at the Hepatitis B Foundation every day!" We say "Catherine you are amazing and we’re lucky to have you as part of our team - both in the office and on the road! For more info and to help Catherine reach her goal, please go here to donate. 

    https://www.hepb.org/news-and-events/nyc-marathon/run4teamhepb-runner-spotlight-catherine-freeland/
  • Mission & History

    Our Mission The Hepatitis B Foundation is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to finding a cure and improving the quality of life for those affected by hepatitis B worldwide. Our commitment includes funding focused research, promoting disease awareness, supporting immunization and treatment initiatives, and serving as the primary source of information for patients and their families, the medical and scientific community, and the general public. Our Story Joan and Tim Block launched the Hepatitis B Foundation in 1991, with the help of their friends Jan and Paul Witte, not long after Joan was diagnosed with the disease. Together, with the personal support of Dr. Baruch Blumberg, they made history. In our Thirtieth Anniversary Video, Joan recounts how the Foundation got started and says, “In some ways, it’s a love story.” Joan was a nurse at a Philadelphia hospital and Tim was a professor at Jefferson University, researching the herpes simplex virus. Then, unexpectedly, a routine health exam determined that Joan was positive for hepatitis B. “When I was diagnosed with chronic hepatitis B, instead of panicking, he changed his whole focus of research to search for a cure for hepatitis B,” Joan recalls. “Tim went to Jan and Paul, and shared this story with them, and they immediately said, ‘We have to do something.’” The two couples created the Hepatitis B Foundation, which was initially a virtual entity. The Foundation primarily took phone calls from people living with the disease and seeking information in those pre-internet days. There was nowhere else for people with hepatitis B to turn. As the Foundation grew a research arm was established, the Baruch S. Blumberg Institute in 2003. The Pennsylvania Biotechnology Center (PABC) was launched to support Blumberg researchers and startup companies in the life sciences in 2006. Today PABC is one of the nation’s most successful life sciences incubators, with more than 80 member companies and about $500 million of R&D activity in recent years. The need for this kind of research and support is in such high demand that an expansion is underway at the center, which is located next to the Doylestown Airport. In 2020, Joan and Tim Block were honored by the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases with its inaugural Distinguished Advocacy Service Award. After that announcement, congratulatory messages poured in. “Tim, despite his humble nature, is a scientific and social giant – a great scientist, a great teacher, a great leader and a remarkable innovator,” wrote Harvey Alter, M.D., who won the Nobel Prize in Medicine and Physiology for 2020. “With Joan as inspiration, they have evolved the Hepatitis B Foundation from a random thought to a major international entity serving innumerable carriers of hepatitis B infection and their families.” Today, what started as a love story between two people has positively affected the lives of millions of people. The Foundation continues to grow and works diligently to provide patient care, advocacy, awareness, and most importantly, to find a cure to hepatitis B. Today, the Hepatitis B Foundation has since grown from a grassroots effort into a professional organization with a global reach. In June 2022, Tim Block stepped down as president of the of the Hepatitis B Foundation, Blumberg Institute, and Pennsylvania Biotechnology Center. He left the organizations in the capable hands of Chari A. Cohen, DrPH, MPH; Randall Hyer, MD, PhD, MPH; and Louis P. Kassa, III, MPA respectively. Tim will continue as Chairman of the Board of Directors for all three organizations.  

    https://www.hepb.org/about-us/mission-and-history/
  • Hepatitis B Foundation Announces Promotion of Chari Cohen, DrPH, MPH, to Vice President, Public Health and Programs

    DOYLESTOWN, PA (October 2017): The Hepatitis B Foundation, a national nonprofit organization headquartered in Doylestown, PA, has announced the promotion of Chari Cohen, DrPH, MPH to vice president, public health and programs. In her new position, Dr. Cohen will be responsible for building and expanding programs designed to promote disease awareness, and support immunization and treatment efforts, improving the quality of life for those affected by hepatitis B worldwide. “Chari has dedicated her career to addressing the global problem of hepatitis B – the world’s most serious and common liver infection,” said Timothy Block, PhD, president of the Hepatitis B Foundation. “We are fortunate to have her talent, experience and enthusiasm. She will continue the legacy of the work of Dr. Thomas London, and before him, Dr. Baruch Blumberg, who helped establish our programs. Those are big shoes to fill, but she has already done this admirably, and the HBF programs continue to be at the forefront in the U.S.” Dr. Cohen has been with the Hepatitis B Foundation for 17 years, during which she has planned, implemented and evaluated community programs and research projects focusing on hepatitis B and liver cancer. Her research focuses on reducing hepatitis B related health disparities, including developing culturally competent models for improving health care access. Dr. Cohen is co-founder and director of Hep B United Philadelphia, a coalition and campaign to increase testing, vaccination and linkage to care in local high-risk communities. Nationally, she is chair of CHIPO: Coalition Against Hepatitis for People of African Origin. She is also senior adviser to Hep B United, a national coalition in 17 states to address and eliminate hepatitis B. She sits on the steering committee for NVHR, the National Viral Hepatitis Roundtable, and served as Policy Chair for the Asian Pacific Islander Caucus of the American Public Health Association. Academically, Dr. Cohen is Associate Professor at the Baruch S. Blumberg Institute, and serves as adjunct faculty for Jefferson School of Population Health, Drexel Dornsife School of Public Health, and Geisinger Commonwealth Medical College. Dr. Cohen received her MPH from Temple University and her DrPH in Community Health and Prevention from Drexel University Dornsife School of Public Health. 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 hepb.org/blog, follow us on Twitter @HepBFoundation, find us on Facebook at facebook.com/hepbfoundation or call 215-489-4900. # # #

    https://www.hepb.org/news-and-events/news-2/hepatitis-b-foundation-announces-promotion-of-chari-cohen-drph-mph-to-vice-president-public-health-and-programs/
  • Hepatitis B Foundation Opposes the American Health Care Act

    The Hepatitis B Foundation, a national nonprofit organization dedicated to finding a cure and improving the quality of life for those affected by hepatitis B worldwide, strongly opposes the American Health Care Act (AHCA). The AHCA would result in 24 million Americans losing health insurance coverage and $880 billion in cuts to federal Medicaid spending by 2026. The plan as introduced would create a greater financial burden on our health care system and for people living with or at risk for hepatitis B. The AHCA proposes to repeal the Prevention and Public Health Fund (PPHF), which funds more than half of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Section 317 Immunization Program. Vaccines purchased through the Section 317 Immunization Program have played a critical role in HBV prevention in high-risk uninsured and underinsured children and adults. Additionally, PPHF funding for this program helps ensure that infants at risk of contracting HBV from their infected mothers can be identified and provided with the HBV vaccine at birth to prevent mother-to-child transmission. The AHCA also proposes changes to Medicaid that could reverse critical progress that has been made since the passage of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) in 2010 in decreasing the uninsured rate of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs), who are disproportionately impacted by hepatitis B. Changing the Medicaid structure to be controlled by the states will also limit the amount of funding states receive and affect funding given to key health entities that serve AAPIs, such as federally-qualified health centers. Additionally, by eliminating federal matching dollars for Medicaid expansion, the AHCA will make it harder for state Medicaid programs to fund coverage for preventive services, such as hepatitis B screening and vaccination for pregnant women and high-risk adults. Finally, by limiting tax credits to persons who are citizens or “qualified aliens,” the AHCA leaves out many immigrant groups with lawful status, including Compact of Free Association (COFA) migrants from the Pacific Islands. Without this financial assistance that they qualified for under the ACA, many lawfully present AAPIs and other immigrant groups who are disproportionately impacted by hepatitis B may no longer be able to afford health coverage. As the House moves to a vote on the proposed AHCA, the Hepatitis B Foundation will continue to monitor and advocate against the harmful provisions outlined above. We are committed to working with our partners and coalition members across the country to promote legislation that improves the quality of life for those affected by hepatitis B and supports progress toward the elimination of hepatitis B and related liver disease and liver cancer. 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 hepb.org/blog, follow us on Twitter @HepBFoundation, find us on Facebook at facebook.com/hepbfoundation or call 215-489-4900.

    https://www.hepb.org/news-and-events/news-2/hbf-opposes-ahca/