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  • Patient-facing infographics

    The resources presented here are based on data obtained from the Hepatitis B Foundation patient engagement survey in 2020. The survey was an anonymous and online and was offered globally for individuals living with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) and aged 18 years old and older. We received 1,707 responses from people living in 100 countries around the globe. The survey asked questions about participants’ experience living with chronic hepatitis B, such as the impact of CHB on their health, daily lives, and relationships. Respondents also answered questions about how they managed their CHB, and how they felt about clinical trials for new hepatitis B medications.  Additionally, the Hepatitis B Foundation conducted 24 one-on-one interviews with people living with CHB and asked them the same questions in more detail. We are sharing what we learned about respondents’ perspectives on the impact of CHB on their physical, emotional, social and professional lives. Individuals and organizations are welcome to use and share these resources to raise the awareness about the significant impact of living with CHB, and ways to mitigate it. Click the images below to see full size versions of the infographics.  For information about the patient engagement survey or interviews, please email us at info@hepb.org.    

    https://www.hepb.org/resources-and-support/patient-facing-infographics/
  • Top 10 Hepatitis B Related Stories of 2014

    Take a look at HBF's Top Ten picks for 2014... 1.  Viral Hepatitis More Deadly Than HIV, But Unfunded 2.  WHO: Liver Cancer Moves to the 2nd Leading Cause of Cancer Deaths in the World 3.  Hep B Cure Could Be Discovered in Bucks Co. 4.  Preventing, Treating HBV Reactivation During Immunosuppressive Therapy 5.  Antiviral Treatment among Pregnant Women with Chronic Hepatitis B 6.  HBV: Community-Based Programs May Improve Care 7.  Fighting Hepatitis B and Liver Cancer in West Africa 8.  Are US Veterans Being Appropriately Tested and Treated for Hepatitis B? 9.  Tenofovir Continues to Work Well Against Hepatitis B Virus for 8 Years 10.  Increase Seen in Liver Injury Caused by Herbals, Dietary Supplements  

    http://www.hepb.org/blog/top-10-hepatitis-b-related-stories-of-2014/
  • Research at the HBF’s Baruch S. Blumberg Institute

    Hepatitis C is now declared curable. Hepatitis B is still not, despite having been discovered nearly 50 years ago. An interview with Dr. Timothy Block of  the Hepatitis B Foundation and the Baruch S. Blumberg Institute. The future does look bright... Perhaps this should not be a surprise, thinks Timothy Block, PhD, president and co-founder of the Hepatitis B Foundation (HBF) and its research arm, the Baruch S. Blumberg Institute. According to Block,there are two main reasons for the “cure deficit” between hepatitis B and C — funding and physiology. He points out that commercial and federal investment in hepatitis C have been far greater than in hepatitis B. And that has clearly paid off in terms of finding a hepatitis C cure. “You get what you pay for,” he observes. Physiologically, hepatitis B also presents unique challenges not found with hepatitis C — most notably cccDNA (or covalently closed circular DNA), the “mini- chromosome” produced by the hepatitis B virus. The cccDNA persists in the nucleus of the liver cell, where it can hide amidst the host’s own chromosomes, apparently out of reach of the cell’s own defense systems. Acting like “an indestructible template,” cccDNA continues to produce virus particles throughout the life of the infected liver cell, even in people being treated with antiviral agents. Hepatitis C, on the other hand, doesn’t enter the cell’s nucleus, so it’s possible to cure a person by stopping this virus from replicating long enough for the liver cells to regenerate. But remember that people who have been “cured” of hepatitis C can still get re-infected,” Block cautions. The hepatitis C drugs apparently do not trigger an immune response that protects against re-infection. In contrast, some people can be cured of hepatitis B, either naturally or through drug therapy. These individuals do seem to have long-term protective immunity. “And that’s what we are aiming for,” he

    http://www.hepb.org/blog/research-at-the-hbfs-baruch-s-blumberg-institute/
  • HBV Journal Review – December 2014

    HBF is pleased to connect our blog readers to Christine Kukka’s monthly HBV Journal Review that she writes for the HBV Advocate. The journal presents the
 latest in hepatitis B research, treatment, and prevention from recent academic and medical journals. This month, the following topics are explored: Twenty-five Percent of HBV-Infected Women Have Liver "Flares" after Childbirth Experts: Do Not Treat Patients in the Immune-Tolerant Stage of Infection Entecavir and Tenofovir Equally Effective in HBeAg-positive Patients and Cirrhotics Tenofovir Effective in Patients with Adefovir- and Lamivudine-Resistance Adding Interferon to Ongoing Antiviral Treatment Effective in HBeAg-positive Patients Antivirals Improve Survival Among Hepatitis B Patients Interferon Effective in HBeAg-negative Patients, Early HBsAg Declines Predict Success Study Finds Asian Immigrants, Especially Chinese, at High Risk of Hepatitis B Immunization Continues to Protect Against Hepatitis B Decades Later Doctors Fail to Vaccinate Hepatitis Patients Against Other Hepatitis Infections Study Confirms HBV Patients Have Higher Kidney Disease Rates December 1, 2014 Volume 11, Issue 12 by Christine M. Kukka Twenty-five Percent of HBV-Infected Women Have Liver "Flares" after Childbirth One-quarter of hepatitis B-infected women have surges in their liver enzymes, indicating liver damage and inflammation, after giving birth, according to a report published in the November 2014 issue of the journal Gut. The "flares" are spikes in alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels. When these ALT enzymes climb above normal, which is between 7 to 35 international units per liter (IU/L) for women, it indicates liver cell damage from the hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. The researchers measured ALT levels in 108 women's blood samples within six to 12 weeks after they gave birth and again at 12 months. They also monitored the women's viral load (HBV DNA) and their hepatitis B "e" antigen (HBeAg) status. Twenty-seven

    http://www.hepb.org/blog/hbv-journal-review-december-2014/
  • Chelle's Story

    As a child, Chelle grew up struggling with stomach problems that went undiagnosed. When she was 18, she learned she has hepatitis B after trying to donate to a military blood drive. Chelle faced isolation, stigma, and discrimination in her personal and professional life, including when the military moved her from the medical field to a supply career. More than three decades later, Chelle is back in the medical field, and all of her kids were successfully vaccinated against hepatitis B at birth. 

    https://www.hepb.org/research-and-programs/patient-story-telling-project/chelles-story/
  • HBV Journal Review – August 2014

    … Current Hepatitis B Tests Missing Some Infections? When do hepatitis B tests miss true infections?A number of confounding factors, ranging from "occult" hepatitis B increase (see above article), failure of lab tests to pick up extremely low levels of HBsAg, immunizations, and the rapidly changing progression of HBV infection can all conspire to mask the infection from conventional laboratory tests. Read the HBV Journal Review in its entirety 

    http://www.hepb.org/blog/hbv-journal-review-august-2014/
  • New president announced for the Pennsylvania Biotechnology Center (PABC)

    Louis P. Kassa, who has been with the PABC since 2014, currently is executive vice president and chief operating officer. Doylestown, Pa., Sept. 27, 2021 – Louis P.  Kassa, executive vice president and chief operating officer of the nonprofit Pennsylvania Biotechnology Center (PABC), will become the center’s president in July 2022. He will succeed Timothy M. Block, PhD, who made the announcement today (Sept. 27). Dr. Block will become executive chair of the Hepatitis B Foundation Board of Directors, which governs the PABC and its two sister organizations, the Hepatitis B Foundation and Baruch S. Blumberg Institute. Kassa will serve as acting chief executive officer of those three entities. “The Pennsylvania Biotechnology Center will be in excellent hands with Lou Kassa at the helm,” Dr. Block said. “His hands are steady and his vision is far-sighted. With Lou as executive vice president, the PABC has nearly doubled in programmatic size and economic impact over the past seven years.” The PABC, which is one of the nation’s most successful life sciences incubators, is managed by the Blumberg Institute. Both were launched by the Hepatitis B Foundation, which was created by Dr. Block, his wife Joan and Jan and Paul Witte just over 30 years ago. Kassa joined all three organizations in 2014. The PABC has grown dramatically in recent years and now has 80 member companies, 46 of which have operations on site, filling the center to capacity. In October the PABC will complete a $20 million expansion project centered around a new building on its Doylestown campus. The rectangular, two-story structure will provide 15,000 square feet of new lab space, a more welcoming main entrance, additional offices and conference rooms plus a 200-seat event space. Most of the new space has been allocated to current member companies and the nonprofit organizations on site. Robert J. Harvie Jr., vice chair of the Board of Bucks County Commissioners, said: “It is rare to find an organization like the Pennsylvania Biotechnology Center, where there are so many leaders of exceptional quality.  Tim Block has left enormous shoes to fill, but Lou Kassa has proven himself to be an extraordinarily dedicated and talented executive. There is no doubt that Lou has the vision and drive to keep the PABC on an upward trajectory.” Loren Danzis, who chairs the PABC board and is a partner with Fox Rothschild LLP, said Kassa was the natural choice to succeed Dr. Block. “Lou has taken the operation to a new level and has the strategic leadership approach that will ensure the continued growth and evolution of the PABC,” Danzis said. “He inspires confidence among those who work for the organizations and our many partners, particularly the center’s member companies. The momentum that Lou has helped build is exciting and I’m eager to see what’s ahead for us.” In January, the PABC will be opening B.Labs at Cira Centre in partnership with Brandywine Realty Trust. B.Labs is a 50,000 square-foot life science incubator in the Schuylkill Yards neighborhood in University City, Philadelphia. Before joining the PABC and its sister organizations, Kassa previously was state director and chief operating officer of VisionQuest National Ltd., a behavioral health services provider. From 2015 to 2017, he worked part-time as the chief executive officer for Youth Services Agency, a non-profit social services agency. In 2017, Kassa co-founded Family Foundations Partnership and is currently its chief executive officer. A resident of Perkasie, Kassa earned a Bachelor of Liberal Arts from Penn State University in 1993. He earned a Master of Public Administration from Villanova University in 2007. About the Pennsylvania Biotechnology Center (PABC): Launched 15 years ago, the PABC is a nonprofit life sciences incubator-accelerator, offering state-of-the-art laboratory and office space to early stage biotech companies, as well as the Hepatitis B Foundation and Blumberg Institute. Managed by the Blumberg Institute and led by a board appointed by the Foundation, PABC has nearly 80 member companies, mostly small to mid-size science, research and pharmaceutical companies. Close to 50 of those companies have on-site operations. The center uses a highly successful services-based approach to nurture and guide its member companies to success, advancing biotechnology, maximizing synergies among nonprofit scientists and their commercial colleagues, and launching new ideas and discoveries that will make a difference. PABC is just outside of Doylestown, the Bucks County seat, in the heart of the Philadelphia-New Jersey pharma belt. The PABC website provides details about PABC membership options and upcoming events. To make a donation to the PABC, click here.

    https://www.hepb.org/news-and-events/news-2/new-president-announced-for-the-pennsylvania-biotechnology-center-pabc/
  • HBV Journal Review – June 2014

    HBF is pleased to connect our blog readers to Christine Kukka’s monthly HBV Journal Review that she writes for the HBV Advocate. The journal presents the
 latest in hepatitis B research, treatment, and prevention from recent academic and medical journals. This month, the following topics are explored: Belatedly, National Panel Recommends Screening At-Risk Patients for Hepatitis B Genotypes and Mutations Define the Course of Hepatitis B Infection Older Patients Who Lose HBeAg After Treatment May Relapse Tenofovir Proves Ineffective in Patient with Multiple Drug Resistance Nearly All HBeAg-Negative Patients Relapse After Antiviral Treatment Stops Studies Find Hepatitis Infection Does Not Increase Pancreatic Cancer Risk Screening Pregnant Women for High Viral Loads Is Cost Effective Hepatitis B Appears to Impede Fertility Despite Low Viral Load, Infected People Can Still Infect Family Members Good News: HBV Infection Rates Lower Than Expected Among Korean-Americans Green Tea May Be an Effective Antiviral HBV Journal Review June 1, 2014 Volume 11, Issue 6 by Christine M. Kukka Belatedly, National Panel Recommends Screening At-Risk Patients for Hepatitis B Ten years after it recommended against screening the "general population" for hepatitis B, an independent national task force that creates prevention guidelines for primary care providers has finally recognized that certain high risk groups in the U.S. should be screened for hepatitis B. Their recommendations, recently published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, come after numerous studies faulted primary care providers for failing to screen patients for hepatitis B and missing opportunities to treat patients for liver disease and immunize family members against hepatitis B virus (HBV) infections. Other health care organizations, including the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Institute of Medicine, and the American Association for the Study of Liver Disease, have been recommending

    http://www.hepb.org/blog/hbv-journal-review-june-2014/
  • CHIPO Overview

    CHIPO, meaning “gift” in the Shona language, seeks to promote hepatitis B education and prevention among African communities, and the healthcare providers and organizations that serve them, through raising awareness, developing local and national partnerships, and advocating for increased screening and improved linkage to care services. We currently have almost 60 coalition partners around the U.S. and in Africa dedicated to addressing viral hepatitis in African communities. The primary goals of CHIPO are to: Discuss issues around the diagnosis and treatment of HBV among African people. Engage and further educate healthcare, service, and other providers about the importance of hepatitis B testing, prevention, and timely treatment. Ensure that African communities are represented in HBV discussions and programs regionally and nationally. Create and support infrastructure of a “Hepatitis B Among African Immigrants” workgroup. CHIPO strategies and activities include: Assessing current barriers to hepatitis B screening among African communities and developing strategies to reduce those barriers for the future. Coordinating and conducting awareness and educational presentations and events with and for the community. Sharing relevant topics, research, and interventions via presentations, conference calls, and webinars. Promoting the coalition and the work of coalition members, locally, nationally, and internationally. Contact us to learn more or join our coalition! We welcome any and all organizations and individuals who want to play a role in this exciting campaign. For more information, please contact beatrice.zovich@hepb.org or (215) 489-4900. Join us on social media!Facebook: Facebook.com/CHIPOCoalition Twitter: @CHIPO_HBV Instagram: @chipo_hbv Meeting Minutes April 2023 March 2023 January 2023 November 2022 July 2022 May 2022 March 2022 February 2022 December 2021 November 2021 July 2021 January 2021 November 2020 July 2020 May 2020 January 2020 July 2019

    https://www.hepb.org/research-and-programs/chipo/chipo-overview/
  • Alan's Story

    Many of Alan’s immediate family members passed away due to liver cancer, but it wasn’t until Alan himself became ill that the family realized the role hepatitis B played in these deaths. Alan talks about how stigma prevents open discussion about the virus and raises questions about the medical community’s failure to adequately address hepatitis B. He worries that continued silence will prevent others from knowing the same joy he experiences in his life. Alan's story is available in English and with Mandarin subtitles.   English   English with Mandarin subtitles

    https://www.hepb.org/research-and-programs/patient-story-telling-project/alans-story/