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  • Mohsin Khan, MSc, PhD

    Staff Scientist. National Institute of Health My research is focused on hepatitis B virus (HBV) pathogenesis, host-HBV interplay, and antiviral drug discovery. My current research is dedicated to studying the molecular mechanisms of the HBV life cycle, HBV-induced reprogramming of host cells, DNA replication, and screening of drugs. In this regard, my special focus is on the biosynthesis and regulation of HBV covalently closed circular (ccc) DNA, HBV entry receptors, and HBV-HCV coinfection.  Read the journal picks of the month from our Emerging Scholars Scientific and Medical Advisory Board here.  

    https://www.hepb.org/news-and-events/reports/emerging-scholars-scientific-and-medical-advisors/mohsin-khan-msc-phd/
  • NYC Marathon

    CHARITY RUNNER PROGRAM TCS NEW YORK CITY MARATHON NOV. 5, 2023 Hepatitis B Foundation is thrilled to be selected as an Official Charity Partner of the 2023TCS New York City Marathon. The TCS New York City Marathon, the largest marathon in the world, features a 26.2-mile course through all five boroughs of New York City—Manhattan, Brooklyn, Staten Island, Queens and the Bronx. The participant field includes 50,000 runners—comprised of world renowned professional athletes alongside a mix of competitive, recreational, and charity runners. Each year, on race day, more than one million spectators line NYC streets to cheer on the runners, while millions more watch the live broadcast. As an Official Charity Partner, the Hepatitis B Foundation has been provided a limited number of entries for the 2023 marathon to be used exclusively for fundraising purposes. For charity runners, a minimum fundraising amount of $3,500 is required for each “RUN 4 HEP B” team member and should be raised through individual fundraising efforts. Benefits of joining our RUN 4 HEP B team:  Guaranteed race entry for the 2023 TCS New York City Marathon  A personalized fundraising page to collect online donations  Fundraising support and guidance  Team branded gear and more! Note: there is a $3,500 fundraising minimum to join RUN 4 HEP B. If you areinterested in being considered, please complete the application here as soon as possible, and email to Run4HepB@gmail.com. Already have guaranteed entry? You can still join us! Runners who have already secured entry via lottery or qualifying time can receive all the benefits mentioned above by fundraising on behalf of RUN 4 HEP B. Email us at Run4HepB@gmail.comfor more information.

    https://www.hepb.org/news-and-events/nyc-marathon/
  • Work begins on a $19 million expansion of the Pennsylvania Biotechnology Center (PABC)

    State and federal grants will cover nearly half of the construction costs. Doylestown, Pa., Sept. 17, 2020 – Construction has begun on a $19 million expansion of the nonprofit Pennsylvania Biotechnology Center (PABC), which is one of the nation’s most successful life sciences incubators. Today, the PABC’s leadership joined with local elected officials to celebrate with a ceremonial “Construction Kickoff.” The PABC, which is next to the Doylestown Airport in Buckingham Township (3805 Old Easton Road), has more than 70 member companies, 41 of which have operations in the facility. “We are confident in Pennsylvania’s future, as our investment in this major expansion clearly demonstrates,” Timothy M. Block, Ph.D., founder, president and CEO of the PABC, said. “We also appreciate the vote of confidence in our operation by state legislators and federal officials, who provided the grants needed to move our project forward.” The PABC has received $4.4 million in grants from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, according to state Sen. Steven J. Santarsiero. “Entrepreneurs at the Pennsylvania Biotechnology Center have produced more than $2 billion in company value, created hundreds of new jobs and launched several publicly traded companies,” Sen. Santarsiero said. “Our state investment not only spurs further economic growth to the area’s biotech sector, but it has the added benefit of helping to save lives and to improve the quality of life for many.” State Rep. Wendy Ullman noted that state funding helped launch the facility in 2006. She added, “The PABC has generated many significant innovations in the pharmaceutical and medical device sectors that have the potential to benefit human health worldwide.” The PABC expansion also is funded by a $4.7 million grant from the U.S. Economic Development Agency. The remainder of the cost is being financed by a local bank. The expansion will lead to additional jobs at the facility, perhaps more than 100, Dr. Block said, along with dozens of new companies and millions of dollars in commercial activity. PABC-member companies currently employ more than 300 highly skilled scientists, staff and students. Research and development at the facility has produced two new FDA-approved drugs and two new medical devices that are now on the market, with more than 10 new drugs and medical devices in clinical trials. The PABC also houses a teaching lab and state-of-the-art research facilities where college undergraduate and grad students, as well as students from the Central Bucks School District and other area districts, receive training in biomedical research. “We’ve been at full capacity for the past seven years and we have a waiting list of companies that want to locate in the PABC,” said Louis P. Kassa, MPA,  executive vice president of the PABC and the Blumberg Institute, which manages the center. “At the same time, there will be opportunities for new companies to move into the PABC with our expansion. And I am very confident that we will be fully subscribed when we cut the ribbon in fall of 2021.” The project entails construction of a new 37,000 square-foot rectangular, two-story building between two existing structures, which will mean a 40% expansion of the PABC. It will provide 15,000 square feet of new laboratory space and a larger main entrance. Other features include more offices, conference rooms and a 200-seat event space. “A key addition will be the HatchBio Accelerator, which will provide common space for very early stage companies,” Kassa said. “It’s our goal to provide a continuum of support for scientists and their emerging technologies, and the HatchBio Accelerator will be ideal for pre-incubation companies that do not yet require dedicated space.” The project includes infrastructure improvements, such as additional parking and a stormwater holding basin, which is on four acres next to the PABC purchased for that purpose. The most recent state grant, which was announced Aug. 28, will fund renovation of existing space to add research and training labs plus new offices to be used for R&D associated with COVID-19. The construction manager is The Norwood Company. The architect is Steven Cohen of Princeton. Cohen also designed the current facility, which was an empty printing facility and warehouse where up to 146 people once worked. The PABC website provides details about PABC membership options and upcoming events, such as the Pennsylvania Biotechnology Center’s annual life sciences industry conference, which will be held on Nov. 5 as a webinar. About the Pennsylvania Biotechnology Center (PABC): 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 Institute and led by a board appointed by the Foundation, PABC is home to more than 40 small to mid-size science, research and pharmaceutical companies. 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 in Bucks County, in the heart of the Philadelphia-New Jersey pharma belt. To make a donation to the PABC, click here.

    https://www.hepb.org/news-and-events/news-2/work-begins-on-a-19-million-expansion-of-the-pennsylvania-biotechnology-center-pabc/
  • HBV Journal Review – December 2013

    … Journal of Virology finds that the number of vaccinated Chinese children with mutated HBV has increased from 6.5% in 1992 to 15% in 2005.(1) And, as these vaccinated children age and become adults, the rate of mutations increases. Researchers also fear these mutated virus may cause more severe liver disease in patients than regular HBV. "The vaccine has been successful in protecting millions of children from HBV, but there is concern that use of the vaccine puts selective pressure on the virus to develop 'breakout' mutations that could render the vaccine less effective," wrote M. J. Friedrich in an editorial citing the study, entitled, "Hepatitis B vaccination spurs virus mutation rise," in the November issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.(2) In the investigation, researchers from the U.S. and China compared blood samples taken from vaccinated children and unvaccinated adults before and after universal HBV immunization began in China in 1992. "They found that the prevalence of HBV mutants in children increased from 6.5% in 1992 to almost 15% in 2005, whereas in the adults, little difference was seen in HBV mutation prevalence from 1992 to 2005—as would be expected because the adults did not receive vaccines. "Although the vaccine remains effective, this study indicates that HBV mutations should be monitored so that additional vaccination strategies can be implemented when necessary," Friedrich cautioned. In another study, published in the November issue of the Journal of Viral Hepatitis, researchers compared outcomes in babies born to HBV-infected mothers who were given only the vaccine or a combination of the vaccine and HBIG, which is composed of hepatitis B surface antibodies derived from humans. They found occult hepatitis B, with HBsAg mutations, in 42% of 222 babies two years after their births.(3) The occult infection rate was higher in infants treated with both the vaccine and HBIG, and whose mothers had high rates of HBV DNA when they

    http://www.hepb.org/blog/hbv-journal-review-december-2013/
  • Study Suggests Vaccine and HBIG Ineffective at Preventing "Occult" Hepatitis B in Babies Born to Infected Mothers

    — Christine M. Kukka, Project Manager, HBV Advocate A new study suggests for the first time that the combination of the hepatitis B vaccine and HBIG (hepatitis B immune globulin) may be ineffective in preventing "occult" hepatitis B in babies born to mothers infected with the hepatitis B virus (HBV). An occult infection occurs when a person tests negative for the hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg)—considered an essential antigen building block for HBV—while testing positive for HBV DNA. When this occult infection occurs, researchers suspect the HBsAg has somehow mutated so conventional lab tests can't identify it. In the recent study, published in the November issue of the Journal of Viral Hepatitis, researchers compared outcomes in babies born to infected mothers who were given only the vaccine or a combination of the vaccine and HBIG, which is composed of hepatitis B surface antibodies derived from humans. They found that occult HBV infection occurred in 42% of 222 babies two years after their births. Most of the children with occult infections had received both the vaccine and HBIG, leading researchers to suggest that HBIG may play a role in promoting the development of an occult infection, or else the mothers may have received antiviral treatment that led to the HBsAg mutation. Hepatitis B vaccination with or without hepatitis B immunoglobulin at birth to babies born of HBsAg-positive mothers prevents overt HBV transmission but may not prevent occult HBV infection in babies: a randomized controlled trial.  Pande C, et al.. Department of Gastroenterology, GB Pant Hospital, New Delhi, India; Special Centre for Molecular Medicine (SCMM), Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), New Delhi, India. J Viral Hepat. 2013 Nov;20(11):801-10. doi: 10.1111/jvh.12102. Epub 2013 Apr 23. Source: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24168259 Abstract Vertical transmission of Hepatitis B virus HBV can result in a state of chronic HBV infection and its complications. HBV

    http://www.hepb.org/blog/study-suggests-vaccine-and-hbig-ineffective-at-preventing-occult-hepatitis-b-in-babies-born-to-infected-mothers/
  • ISIS/GSK and Tekmira Come Out with HBV Knockdown Plans

    Harnessing the Power of RNAi Gene Silencing in Quest of a Cure for Chronic Hepatitis B, and the HBV KnockDown blog written by Dirk Haussecker, who believes it's about time everyone got serious about a functional cure for hepatitis B.  If you did not appreciate the value the pharmaceutical industry has come to place on the HBsAg knockdown concept for achieving a functional cure for chronic Hepatitis B (HBV) infection, the last two days will have woken you up. Yesterday, ISIS Pharmaceuticals reported that it had received a $7M milestone payment related to the development of an antiviral RNaseH development candidate (ISIS-GSK3Rx, aka ISIS-HBVRx) which, although undisclosed for competitive reasons, has got to be for HBV.  And today, Tekmira publicly announced that they will file an IND for an HBV-RNAi candidate in 2014 while hinting at the partnering potential of such a treatment candidate. Arrowhead Research is thus not alone in their efforts any more.  Coincidentally, Arrowhead reported today the completion of their enrollment of the phase I single-dose, healthy volunteer study with ARC520, their DPC-delivered candidate for chronic HBV.  Accordingly, the dose escalation was able to run through all the pre-planned 6 dose cohorts up to the top dose of 2.0mg/kg. Apparently, there were no signs of significant dose-related toxicities.  The only finding of concern among the 36 volunteers, 24 of which received drug, was 2 cases of lightheadedness of uncertain clinical relevance.  As these occurred at the highest dose, it seems that the company suspects that it could have been drug-related although the study remains blinded for follow-up. A dose of 2mg/kg without any serious adverse events or dose-limiting toxicities is a great start for DPC delivery technology.  This is especially the case when one considers that the single-molecule subQ version of DPC that I hope will form the basis for the upcoming pipeline candidates, except for the next one perhaps, will

    http://www.hepb.org/blog/isisgsk-and-tekmira-come-out-with-hbv-knockdown-plans/
  • Join Hep B United, CDC DVH, HBF, AAPCHO and CDC NPIN for a Twitter Chat!

    Mark you calendars! Join Hep B United,CDC Division of Viral Hepatitis , HBF, AAPCHO and CDC NPIN for a Twitter Chat on Tuesday, November 19th, 3pm EST to discuss the Know Hepatitis B campaign and what Hep B United, partners and coalition members are doing to raise awareness and increase hepatitis B testing and vaccination among Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs). Hepatitis B is the leading cause of liver cancer and a major health disparity among AAPIs who are disproportionately impacted by HBV. Are you interested in participating in the chat, or following the conversation, but you know nothing about twitter? Here’s a little start-up guide so you have a basic background about twitter and how you might use it as another channel for you or your organization’s HBV messages, events and information, and to communicate with your partners and communities. Everything You Need to Participate in the Hep B United Twitter Chat, November 19th, 3pm EST Twitter allows you to stay connected or exchange short messages called tweets with friends, family, co-workers, organizations and partners, and the world at large. You can tweet from your computer, your laptop, i-pad or smartphone. You can use it to update your status on the go, or in HBF’s case, use it to educate and raise hepatitis B awareness. HBF also uses it to send out current or new information on hepatitis B and to make our resources available to others.  It’s also a great way to search for recent HBV news. As a Hep B United Coalition member, or HBV advocate, twitter is a great outlet to get your message out there, and to share information with partners and your community. What you need to get started: Twitter username Email address Short Bio statement (160 chars or less) about your twitter account Profile picture or logo to brand your twitter account When creating a twitter account, consider how you plan to use the account. Will this be a personal account, where you can retweet other material

    http://www.hepb.org/blog/join-hep-b-united-cdc-hbf-and-aapcho-for-a-twitter-chat/
  • Big Thank You to 2 Hep B Heroes

      HBF would like to thank Hep B Heroes Nina and Richie Kahn. Richie recently ran the Delaware Marathon, and he and Nina used this opportunity to raise money for the Hepatitis B Foundation. Nina and Richie, thank you for your generous donation and your commitment to those living with hepatitis B! "Back in 2008, I suffered a pretty horrific knee injury running the Philadelphia Half-Marathon. Several years, surgical procedures, and rehabilitation sessions later, I’m running again. So, I figured why not put my stamina to the test by running my first marathon while raising money for a wonderful cause? On May 12th, I ran the Delaware Marathon to raise money for the Hepatitis B Foundation (HBF). For those of you who haven’t had the pleasure of working with HBF, the foundation is the only national non-profit organization solely dedicated to the global problem of hepatitis B. They are dedicated to finding a cure and improving the quality of life for those affected by hepatitis B worldwide. This 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. I finished the race in 3:59:23, 218th overall. More importantly, thanks to the generous support of friends, co-workers, and colleagues, we were able to raise nearly $3,000 for the Hepatitis B Foundation. Be sure to check out the Hepatitis B Foundation's website to learn about the excellent work they do at http://hepb.org/."    

    http://www.hepb.org/blog/big-thank-you-to-2-hep-b-heroes/
  • William's Story

    Excited by the impending birth of his first child, William decided to plan for his family’s financial future. He was shocked to learn through a required health insurance blood test that he has hepatitis B and spent sleepless nights wondering how he contracted the virus and whether it was a death sentence. After wading through dense layers of information online, he went in for further tests and was reassured by a caring provider that with monitoring, dietary changes, and an active lifestyle, he can live a long life. He realized that knowing where hepatitis B came from isn’t as important as focusing on staying healthy.  

    https://www.hepb.org/research-and-programs/patient-story-telling-project/williams-story/
  • Bunmi's Story

    After her father passed away, Bunmi had to request his death certificate in order to learn the cause of death: liver cancer. She felt stifled by the lack of willingness within her family to talk about hepatitis B, and she wonders if old superstitions about illness in Nigeria are contributing to the stigma surrounding the virus both there and in African immigrant communities in the U.S. She is determined to help end the silence.  

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