ACIP review of the hepatitis B birth dose vaccination remains a grave concern - Please read more here.

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  • Hepatitis B Blood Tests

    The “Hepatitis B Panel” of Blood Tests Only one sample of blood is needed for a hepatitis B blood test, but the “Hepatitis B Panel” includes three parts. All three test results are needed to fully understand whether a person is infected or not. Below is an explanation of the 3-part “Hepatitis B Panel” of blood test results. HBsAg (Hepatitis B surface antigen) - A "positive" or "reactive" HBsAg test result means that the person is infected with hepatitis B. This test can detect the actual presence of the hepatitis B virus (called the “surface antigen”) in your blood. If a person tests “positive,” then further testing is needed to determine if this is a new “acute” infection or a “chronic” hepatitis B infection. A positive HBsAg test result means that you are infected and can spread the hepatitis B virus to others through your blood. anti-HBs or HBsAb (Hepatitis B surface antibody) - A "positive" or "reactive" anti-HBs (or HBsAb) test result indicates that a person is protected against the hepatitis B virus. This protection can be the result of receiving the hepatitis B vaccine or successfully recovering from a past hepatitis B infection. This test is not routinely included in blood bank screenings. A positive anti-HBs (or HBsAb) test result means you are “immune” and protected against the hepatitis B virus and cannot be infected. You are not infected and cannot spread hepatitis B to others. anti-HBc or HBcAb (Hepatitis B core antibody) - A "positive" or "reactive" anti-HBc (or HBcAb) test result indicates a past or current hepatitis B infection. The core antibody does not provide any protection against the hepatitis B virus (unlike the surface antibody described above). This test can only be fully understood by knowing the results of the first two tests (HBsAg and anti-HBs). A positive anti-HBc (or HBcAb) test result requires talking to your health care provider for a complete explanation of your hepatitis B status.

    https://www.hepb.org/prevention-and-diagnosis/diagnosis/hbv-blood-tests/
  • Do You Know Your Hepatitis Facts from Fiction?

    … transmitted, so we don’t need to vaccinate infants.” Wrong! Hepatitis B can also be transmitted from an infected mother to her baby during childbirth (perinatal transmission). In fact, in some countries where hepatitis B is very common, this is the main form of transmission. FICTION #2. “I am in a “high-risk” group, but I don’t have any signs or symptoms. So I don’t need to get tested.” Yes you do! Most people with chronic hepatitis B or C do not know they are infected. Many people live with chronic hepatitis for decades without symptoms or feeling sick. And in people with chronic hepatitis B infection, liver cancer can develop with or without cirrhosis, so testing and regular monitoring is essential. FICTION #3. “I heard I can catch hepatitis B from the vaccine.” No! You cannot get hepatitis B from the vaccine because it does not contain any live virus. The vaccine is made from a synthetic yeast product in a laboratory. The most common side effects are redness and soreness in the arm where the shot is given. So, why wait? Get tested! May 19 is National Hepatitis Testing Day in the US. To find a place to get a free or low cost test for hepatitis, check out the CDC sponsored Hepatitis Testing page.  

    http://www.hepb.org/blog/do-you-know-your-hepatitis-facts-from-fiction/
  • HBV Journal Review - January 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: Amniocentesis Increases Risk of Hepatitis B Infection in Infants Tenofovir Alone Effective in Treating Adefovir-Resistant Hepatitis B Another Study Confirms Increased Pancreatic Cancer Risk in People with Hepatitis B Studies Uncover the Strengths and Weaknesses of the Antiviral Entecavir Antiviral Telbivudine Appears to Protect Kidney Health Experimental Treatment Would Help Immune System Attack HBV Infection Study Shows Antiviral Treatment Helps Liver Function Is There a New Normal for Healthy ALT Levels? Obesity May Decrease Hepatitis B Vaccine Effectiveness, But Old Age Does Not High Rates of Coinfections Underscore Need for Coordinated Care More Evidence: Lamivudine Should Not Be Used in Pregnant Women  HBV Journal Review January 1, 2014 Vol 11, no 1 by Christine M. Kukka Amniocentesis Increases Risk of Hepatitis B Infection in Infants 
Chinese researchers compared the rates of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection in infants born to HBV-infected women who underwent amniocentesis to women who did not and found that the procedure increased HBV infection in infants. Amniocentesis is the sampling of amniotic fluid using a hollow needle inserted into the uterus. The fluid is used to screen for developmental abnormalities in a fetus. According to the report published in the November 2013 Journal of Hepatology, researchers found that women with high viral loads who underwent the procedure had higher rates of infecting their infants (6.35%) than those who did not (2.53%). The scientists compared infection rates in 63 infants whose mothers had amniocentesis against 198 infants whose mothers did not. However, when the mothers' viral loads were moderate,

    http://www.hepb.org/blog/hbv-journal-review-january-2014/
  • Entecavir + Tenofovir Works Well for Hepatitis B Patients with Prior Treatment Failure

    … Nearly 10% had primary non-response (1 log but still detectable at week 24 or 48) and 33% experienced viral breakthrough while on treatment (>1 log increase over the lowest level). At baseline 52% had evidence of lamivudine resistance, 25% had entecavir resistance, and 7% had adefovir resistance; about one-quarter had no resistance mutations and 16% had viral load too low for sequencing. All participants in this ongoing, open-label, single-arm study were re-treated with 1 mg entecavir plus 300 mg tenofovir, both once-daily, for up to 96 weeks. After 96 weeks patients and investigators could elect to pursue further treatment using commercially available hepatitis B drugs. Read more

    http://www.hepb.org/blog/entecavir-tenofovir-works-well-for-hepatitis-b-patients-with-prior-treatment-failure/
  • HBV Journal Review – November 2013

    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: Patients Who Clear Hepatitis B During Antiviral Treatment Do Well Long-Term However, the Prognosis is Poor for Most Who Stop Antiviral Treatment How Effective Are Antivirals in Reducing Cirrhosis and Preventing Liver Cancer? New Antiviral Besifovir Hampered by Carnitine Deficiency in Early Clinical Trial Liver Cancer Remains Major Health Threat, with Few Treatment Options Scientists Develop a Better Mouse for Hepatitis B and C Research HBV-Infected People Have a Higher Risk of Rheumatoid Arthritis Ear Wax May Transmit Hepatitis B Children with Frequent Ear Infections Do Not Respond as Well to Vaccines Clean-Shave Haircuts Leave Traces of Virus on the Scalp  HBV Journal Review November 1, 2013 Vol 10, no 11 by Christine M. Kukka Patients Who Clear Hepatitis B During Antiviral Treatment Do Well Long-Term
Patients who respond well to antiviral treatment and clear the hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) during treatment generally do well in the years after treatment stops, according to a report published in the October 2013 issue of the journal Gut. Korean researchers monitored patients who cleared HBsAg during antiviral treatment with either lamivudine (Epivir-HBV) or entecavir (Baraclude) for nearly six years after treatment stopped. Antiviral drugs work by interfering with HBV's biochemistry to stop them from replicating. In this study, a very small percentage--about 0.33% of the 5,409 patients--cleared HBsAg each year. Patients who were most likely to lose HBsAg had highly-elevated alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels when they started treatment--indicating their immune systems were already attacking the HBV-infected liver cells. ALT levels rise when liver

    http://www.hepb.org/blog/hbv-journal-review-november-2013/
  • HBV Journal Review – September 2013

    … not receiving the birth dose hepatitis B vaccination, future intervention studies could be needed to help control those modifiable risk factors," CDC researchers wrote. Source: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23988497 Researchers Suggest Banning or Restricting Lamivudine to Avoid Drug Resistance
A global team of researchers suggest lamivudine (Epivir-HBV) never be used to treat hepatitis B patients because it frequently leads to drug resistance and sets the stage for resistance to other antivirals, such as entecavir (Baraclude). Lamivudine, the first antiviral approved for hepatitis B treatment, has fallen out of favor in North America and Europe because of its high rate of drug resistance. But because of its low cost, it continues to be commonly used to treat hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection in Asia and Africa, where the majority of the world's hepatitis B patients live. This report, published in the July 30 issue of PLoS One, examined the molecular make-up of the virus in many patients who had been treated with lamivudine as well as patients who had never been treated. They found the many untreated patients carry a mutation that allows HBV to quickly mutate and develop resistance to lamivudine. "Our findings strongly suggest that the use of lamivudine will not benefit ...patients," they wrote because of the high risk of lamivudine resistance. "Finally, since patients can quickly develop drug resistance to entecavir in the presence of lamivudine mutations, the lamivudine mutations can significantly compromise the efficacy of entecavir," they concluded. They proposed that doctor screen patients for these mutations before ever prescribing lamivudine,"... to most effectively treat chronic hepatitis B patients by selecting only sensitive drugs." … Continue reading about this and additional HBV related studies

    http://www.hepb.org/blog/hbv-journal-review-september-2013/
  • Externally Led Patient-Focused Drug Development Meeting

    The primary goal of this virtual (online) meeting, which was held on June 9, 2020, was to hear directly from patients about their perspectives on living with chronic hepatitis B and their experiences with treatments to improve the development of new drugs in the research pipeline. The patient perspective is critical in helping the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) understand the context in which regulatory decisions are made for new drugs. This input will inform FDA’s decisions and oversight both during drug development and during its review of new treatments. The meeting format was very interactive with more than 650 attendees and 300-plus comments submitted. The discussion covered current and future hepatitis B treatments. We heard directly from patients, in their own voices, about their perspectives on living with the disease and hopes for clinical trials and treatments. There was a live Q&A with the audience, as you can see in the official recording. You can view it by clicking on the arrow in the image below. [embed width="480" height="270" class="leftAlone" thumbnail="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/mHQhvbyNH3M/hqdefault.jpg?r"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mHQhvbyNH3M[/embed] Download the full report here. Download the full meeting transcript here. Download all submitted e-mail comments here. The FDA has reviewed and posted the report on its External Resources and Information Related to Patients’ Experience page. 10/24/20

    https://www.hepb.org/news-and-events/patient-focused-drug-development-meeting-virtual/
  • Our Voices Made a Difference: CVS Caremark to Cover Vemlidy Prescriptions

    The Hepatitis B Foundation, along with our network of patients, providers and partners, has successfully advocated for improved access to the hepatitis B medication Vemlidy in the US. Recently, the Hepatitis B Foundation learned that CVS Caremark, one of the nation's leading pharmacy benefit management companies, providing comprehensive prescription benefit management services to over 2,000 health plans, stopped providing coverage for Vemlidy as of July 1, 2019. This decision impacted thousands of Americans who rely on this life-saving drug to manage their hepatitis B. HBF worked with our Scientific and Medical Advisory Board, our coalition partners, providers and patients across the United States to put pressure on CVS Caremark to reverse their decision, and return Vemlidy to their list of covered prescriptions. We organized a grassroots advocacy effort, sending over 20 letters from partner organizations, and 250 individuals signed a petition encouraging CVS Caremark to provide coverage for this essential medication. As a result, CVS Caremark announced this week that they will resume coverage of Vemlidy for their plan members as early as October 2019! Thank you to everyone who helped us to advocate for this important change. HBF firmly believes that all FDA-approved medications should be available for doctors to prescribe to their patients, and this change will ensure that those on CVS Caremark plans have access to this life-saving drug.  Thank you to everyone who signed the petition, wrote a letter, or simply shared the information. Because of you, those who rely on Vemlidy now have one less barrier to accessing their needed treatment!

    https://www.hepb.org/news-and-events/news-2/our-voices-made-a-difference-cvs-caremark-to-cover-vemlidy-prescriptions/
  • Wendy's Story

    Growing up in Canada, Wendy lived a typical upbringing, considered herself to be athletic, and was involved in many sports. When Wendy was in college, she found out she had hepatitis B and learned she got it from her mother at birth. Years later, when her mom was diagnosed with liver cancer, it was a wake-up call for Wendy – she realized the importance of educating herself about hepatitis B and committed to living a healthier lifestyle, getting regular checkups, and having her doctor actively monitor her hepatitis B.   

    https://www.hepb.org/research-and-programs/patient-story-telling-project/wendys-story/
  • Online Training

    Learn more about hepatitis B with online trainings and podcasts. Each training below is a recorded presentation given by experts in the field of hepatitis B. These presentations are for information purposes only and are not intended as medical advice. The views of the speakers are not necessarily those of the Hepatitis B Foundation.   Hep B United Philadelphia's and National Nurse-Led Care Consortium's Hepatitis B ECHO The ECHO Model™ is a nationally recognized physician education model using proven adult learning techniques and interactive video technology. The model connects groups of community providers with specialists in regular real-time collaborative sessions. The sessions are designed around case-based learning and mentorship to help health care practitioners gain the expertise required to provide culturally competent and quality services for patients. The goal of the Hepatitis B ECHO is to expand provider capacity at the primary care level to diagnose, treat and manage hepatitis B. Each ECHO session will include one case discussion and a 15-minute didactic aimed to empower providers to manage hepatitis B. Each session will begin at 12 p.m. EST on the fourth Thursday of every month starting on Thursday, January 28, 2021.  Register Here! ECHO Presentations ECHO Sessions         Hepatitis B Screening & Care for Asian and African Communities  This CME training from PRIME Education features two experts with deep experience in providing hepatitis B virus (HBV) care to high-risk patient populations, with a focus on serving people from Asian and African countries. The high burden of HBV and liver cancer in underserved populations highlights the need for targeted outreach, screening, and linkage to care. Watch this video to learn new strategies for delivering appropriate care, improving HBV workflows, and cultivating patient engagement for better outcomes. Offering 1 credit hour for multiple providers. This CME course is part of a Hepatitis B Toolkit providing resources on a number of topics, including how to tailor hepatitis B education for high-risk populations and how to overcome disparities and improving linkage to care for HBV patients. Each toolkit component offers 1 credit hour. Click here for online CME training from Prime Education Click here for the Hepatitis B Toolkit

    https://www.hepb.org/resources-and-support/online-training/