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  • Run4TeamHepB Runner Spotlight: Stephen Hirschmann

    Our Run4TeamHepB continues to impress as they raise funds and pound the pavement while training for the TCS New York City Marathon on Nov. 6, 2022!  We’ve been highlighting each one of our dedicated runners so you can meet the team and join them raising awareness and funds for those living with hepatitis B. Feel free to share these posts to help get the word out! This week…meet Steve! Who: Stephen Hirschmann What: A former D1 athlete seeking his first marathon medal Where: Resides in NYC When: Nov. 6 for the 51st running of the NYC marathon Why: Steve says “Since graduating Delaware and no longer having lacrosse in my life, I've missed the aspect of physically and mentally working towards a goal. An understated aspect of athletics is how often teams/tournaments are tied to fundraising for a cause, so I'm glad running for this team gives me an opportunity to carry on that tradition.” We say, THANKS Steve for joining our cause and continuing your philanthropic efforts, which are instrumental in improving the quality of life for those affected by Hepatitis B.  For more info and to help Steve reach his goal, please go here to donate. 

    https://www.hepb.org/news-and-events/nyc-marathon/run4teamhepb-runner-spotlight-stephen-hirschmann/
  • Run4TeamHepB Runner Spotlight: Aaron Rak

    Our Run4TeamHepB is out there beating the heat and continuing to train hard for the TCS New York City Marathon taking place on Nov. 6, 2022! We’ve been 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! Next up…meet Aaron! Who: Aaron Rak What: An incredible marathon runner seeking his 15th medal! Where: Resides in NYC When: Nov. 6 for the 51st running of the NYC marathon  Why: Aaron says “It’s not too often that I get to combine my personal and professional/public health goals!  Working in Biotech for the past 20 years, and now with VBI vaccines, my goal is to improve public health." We say, THANK YOU Aaron for all your hard work and dedication to our cause - both your scientific and fundraising contributions are invaluable in helping more than 300 million people living with chronic hepatitis B worldwide.  For more info and to help Aaron reach his goal, please go here to donate. 

    https://www.hepb.org/news-and-events/nyc-marathon/run4teamhepb-runner-spotlight-aaron-rak/
  • The World’s Second Deadliest Cancer Is …Preventable

    Liver cancer is the world’s second leading cause of cancer deaths, according to the latest World Cancer Report 2014 released by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), which is the specialized cancer agency of the World Health Organization (WHO). About 800,000 deaths per year are related to liver cancer. The growing global cancer burden and the ever-increasing costs of cancer care are “damaging the economies of even the richest countries and are way beyond the reach of developing countries,” the Report states. Efficient prevention strategies are urgently needed, because treatments alone cannot solve the problem of cancer, pointed out Dr Christopher Wild, Director of IARC. He declared that “More commitment to prevention and early detection is desperately needed to complement improved treatments.” In fact about half of all cancers could be avoided if national vaccination programs and low-tech approaches to early detection and screening were adequately implemented. These strategies have already been shown to be effective in several countries. Among other recommendations, the Report specifically advocates for more widespread use of preventive measures, such as the hepatitis B vaccine (the world’s first anti-cancer vaccine) to reduce the incidence of liver cancer. Chronic hepatitis B is a leading cause of liver cancer in the world. While governments may think vaccination, screening and early detection programs are too expensive, Dr Bernard W. Stewart, co-editor of IARC/WHO Report, argues that governments should view such preventive measures as “an investment rather than a cost.” Educating policymakers about the importance of such investments was also a topic of discussion at the Liver Cancer Roundtable meeting held in November, 2013, in Washington, DC. The Hepatitis B Foundation, which created the Liver Cancer Connect program, joined the nation’s leading liver disease experts, research scientists, advocacy groups, and government agencies

    http://www.hepb.org/blog/the-worlds-second-deadliest-cancer-is-preventable/
  • Rallying Call

    livercancerconnect.org   Welcome to the newly launched blog from Liver Cancer Connect, the Hepatitis B Foundation’s dedicated program on liver cancer. The blog will focus on issues that affect families facing liver cancer. On the recent World Cancer Day 2014, we ushered in the new year with both sobering news and some optimism. First the sobering news. The American Cancer Society recently reported1 that the number of new cases of liver cancer and the number of deaths due to this disease continue to increase. The rate of liver/bile duct cancer has risen by 3% to 4% per year and mortality by about 2% over the past 2 decades. In sharp contrast, the death rate for all cancers combined has been steadily declining over the same period and the number of new cases has decreased for most cancers. Liver cancer is the fifth most common cancer in the world, and the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths. In fact, every 30 seconds, one person in the world dies of liver cancer. Yet liver cancer is largely preventable! Eliminating the main risk factors for liver cancer — chronic hepatitis B and C infections and fatty liver disease — can stop the development of liver cancer. Chronic hepatitis B and C infections, which cause about 85% of liver cancers worldwide, are preventable and treatable. A safe vaccine against hepatitis B (the world’s first anti-cancer vaccine) has been available since 1986. And while a cure is not yet available, hepatitis B infections can be kept under control with effective treatments. There is no vaccine yet for hepatitis C, but it can be cured. And fatty liver disease can be prevented by maintaining a healthy weight and diet. Equally important in preventing liver cancer are screening and surveillance, which help to find the cancer early. Screening is the first test that a person undergoes to detect either an increased risk for liver cancer or the actual presence of the cancer. Surveillance refers to the regular monitoring for liver

    http://www.hepb.org/blog/rallying-call/
  • HBV Journal Review - February 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: Tests for Antigens and Drug-Resistant Virus Emerge as Valuable Diagnostic Tools Experts Issue a Report Card on Side Effects from Antivirals Experts Weigh in on Why They Prefer Either Antivirals or Interferon Doctors Explain Which Medical Guidelines They Follow, Or Ignore Truvada Effective in Lowering Viral Load in Young Adults with High Viral Load Hepatitis B Causes Most Liver Cancer Deaths in China Smoking Shortens Survival after Liver Cancer Surgery  HBV Journal Review February 1, 2014 Vol 11, no 2 by Christine M. Kukka Tests for Antigens and Drug-Resistant Virus Emerge as Valuable Diagnostic Tools Measuring the amount of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) in your bloodstream or conducting quick tests for drug-resistant hepatitis B virus (HBV) may soon be part of your office visit in the brave new molecular world of hepatitis B treatment. Doctors increasingly are measuring HBsAg levels to determine if treatment is needed or if current medications are working. HBsAg tests—along with measuring alanine aminotransferase (ALT) for signs of liver damage and HBV DNA for viral load—may become essential tools to assess hepatitis B progression or remission. HBsAg is the protein that makes up the outer covering of HBV. When a patient has a high viral load (and is positive for the hepatitis B "e" antigen—HBeAg), there are often large quantities of HBsAg circulating in the blood stream. When viral replication slows and HBeAg disappears, there can be lower quantities of HBsAg. But experts are learning that high HBsAg levels can increase cancer risk, even in HBeAg-negative patients, according to a study published in the journal Annales de Biologie Clinique. (1) As

    http://www.hepb.org/blog/hbv-journal-review-february-2014/
  • Pennsylvania Biotechnology Center’s Kassa named one of The 10 Best COOs of 2020

    The Bucks County operation he runs is one of the nation’s most successful life sciences incubators and is in the midst of a $19 million expansion. Doylestown, Nov. 18, 2020 – Louis P. Kassa, MPA, executive vice president and chief operating officer of the Pennsylvania Biotechnology Center, has been named one of “The 10 Best COOs of 2020” by Industry Era, a global technology media outlet. The list includes COOs from a wide variety of organizations worldwide.  Louis P. Kassa Since joining the Pennsylvania Biotechnology Center (PABC) in 2014, Kassa has led the PABC to become one of the nation’s leading life sciences incubators, according to a report by the International Business Innovation Association. The PABC is a nonprofit that offers state-of-the-art laboratory and office space to early stage biotech companies, as well as the Hepatitis B Foundation and Blumberg Institute. With more than 70 member companies, the center is home to 41 small to mid-size science, research and biotechnology companies. The PABC has been at full capacity for the past seven years and there is a waiting list of companies that want to locate in the PABC, Kassa said. “We have a very specific ecosystem and services platform that helps entrepreneurs find a path for success,” Kassa said. “Most incubators are run by universities or for-profit businesses, but at the heart of our center are two nonprofits, the Hepatitis B Foundation and the Blumberg Institute.” The PABC uses a highly successful services-based approach to nurture and guide its member companies to success. A fundamental element is the center’s unusually collaborative environment. “A unique aspect of our ecosystem is that we don’t kick companies out simply because they’ve grown to a certain point,” Kassa said, “Instead, we really try to have senior companies in our ecosystems that actually help the small companies with co-collaboration.” One of those senior companies is FlowMetric Life Sciences Inc., a contract research organization that has grown from a small startup 10 years ago to a global operation with more than 45 employees and lab operations here and in Europe. Renold J. Capocasale is its founder and CEO. “We chose to put our headquarters in the Pennsylvania Biotechnology Center a decade ago for three reasons: its strategic location, cross-company collaborations and excellent services,” Capocasale said. “Lou Kassa is one of the major reasons that we have decided to continue to grow here at the center."  When the PABC opens its new 37,000 square-foot building next fall, FlowMetric Life Sciences will be the primary occupant. The company also plans to open a new lab and offices next year in Adelaide, Australia. The PABC’s new building is the centerpiece of a $19 million expansion that began last summer and will be completed next October, Kassa said. The two-story, rectangular building going up between two existing structures will mean 40% more space at 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.  “We’re full steam ahead,” Kassa said. “And I firmly believe we’re going to be at 100% occupancy when we open our new building next October.” It is estimated that the expansion will lead to additional jobs at the facility, perhaps greater than 100, plus dozens of new companies and millions of dollars in commercial activity. Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf recently approved a $430,000 grant to the center to renovate space for new labs, offices and instructional space to accommodate COVID-19 research and development.  An additional factor that makes the PABC different than most incubators is the academic programming on site. Overseen by the Blumberg Institute, which has 28 scientists on its faculty, there are educational programs for university undergrads, graduate students and local high school students. Many take advantage of the opportunity for hands-on experience with researchers at PABC-member companies and in Blumberg Institute labs. A resident of Perkasie, Kassa earned a bachelor’s degree in liberal arts from Penn State University Park in 1993 and worked in behavioral health social services for over 20 years. He received a Master of Public Administration from Villanova University in 2007. # # # About the Pennsylvania Biotechnology Center (PABC): 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/pennsylvania-biotechnology-centers-kassa-named-one-of-the-10-best-coos-of-2020/
  • Tenofovir Alafenamide Shows Similar Anti-HBV Activity with Less Kidney Toxicity

    Great news from the 2013 AASLD Liver Meeting regarding a new, lower-dose formulation of Tenofovir for the treatment of hepatitis B From HIVandHepatitis.com Published Thursday, 21 November 2013 00:00Written by Liz Highleyman A new formulation of tenofovir that can be taken at lower doses demonstrated potent activity against hepatitis B virus (HBV) similar to that of the existing formulation in a 28-day study, but with less effect on kidney function, researchers reported at the 64thAASLD Liver Meeting this month in Washington, DC. Gilead Science's tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF, brand name Viread) -- the currently marketed formulation -- is one of the most effective antiviral drugs for hepatitis B as well as one of the most widely used antiretrovirals for HIV. TDF is generally safe and well-tolerated, but it can cause kidney toxicity in susceptible individuals and is also associated with bone loss. A new pro-drug formulation known as tenofovir alafenamide (TAF, formerly GS-7340) produces 5-fold higher concentrations of active tenofovir diphosphate in lymphoid cells that harbor HIV, but is more stable in plasma and results in lower blood drug levels and systemic exposures than those seen with TDF. This allows for reduced dosing with potentially less detrimental effect on the kidneys and bones. Over the past year researchers have reported that a 10 mg dose of TAF is as effective against HIV as a 300 mg dose of TDF through 48 weeks in Phase 2 studies, but the former has less impact on markers of kidney function and bone mineral density. Read more details here. 

    http://www.hepb.org/blog/tenofovir-alafenamide-shows-similar-anti-hbv-activity-with-less-kidney-toxicity/
  • What You Need to Know About Hepatitis C and Liver Cancer

    The Hepatitis B Foundation’s Liver Cancer Webinar Series continues Wednesday, April 3rd.  HBF’s first webinar was overwhelmingly successful, so we hope you’ll join us next week for “Liver Cancer and Hepatitis C: What You Need to Know”, presented by leading hepatitis C expert, Douglas LaBrecque, MD. Dr. LaBrecque is the Professor of Medicine and Director of the Liver Service at the University of Iowa. He also served as Chief of GI and Hepatology at the Iowa City VA Hospital for 19 years. He has conducted extensive research on the development and treatment of hepatitis C, hepatitis B, and other liver diseases, including liver transplantation with more than 100 peer-reviewed manuscripts, three books, 22 book chapters and over 150 abstracts. Liver cancer is the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths and the seventh most common cancer worldwide. But the major causes of liver cancer— such as chronic hepatitis B or hepatitis C, and cirrhosis— are largely preventable. And treatments for liver cancer are available. Join The Hepatitis B Foundation’s webinar series to learn about the risk factors for liver cancer and the importance of liver cancer screening and surveillance. The expert presenters will describe currently available treatment options and clinical trials. These webinars are provided free of charge to help educate and raise liver cancer awareness. Liver Cancer and Hepatitis C: What You Need to Know webinar details: Presented by: Dr. Douglas LaBrecque Date: Wednesday, April 3, 2013 Time: 3 pmEST; 12 pmPST Click here to register Download the March 6th Webinar and listen to Hepatitis B and Liver Cancer: What You Need to Know, by Dr. Robert Gish.  For additional accurate, easy-to-understand information on liver cancer, visit the Hepatitis B Foundation’s dedicated website, www.LiverCancerConnect.org.

    http://www.hepb.org/blog/what-you-need-to-know-about-hepatitis-c-and-liver-cancer/
  • Bright's Story

    Born in a small town in Ghana, Bright emigrated to the U.S. upon finishing teacher training college. Several years later, he learned that his mother, who he adored, had passed away back home. Devastated, he began to receive counseling. He also learned he is living with chronic hepatitis B, after seeking healthcare for feelings of fatigue. Bright eventually starts facing the unknown, feeling more resilient than ever before. Bright's story is available in English and Twi.   English   Twi

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

    When Carolyn’s mother told her, “he’s just tired, he needs to work less,” Carolyn suspected that something more was going on. She flew to visit her parents in Hawaii and learned that he was dying of liver cancer, the result of chronic hepatitis B. Carolyn regrets how quickly her father’s health deteriorated, and yet she cherishes the time they spent together in the hospital. She recognizes that the experience helped her find compassion for her patients, in her own work as a nurse. Carolyn's story is available in English and with Korean subtitles.   English    English with Korean subtitles

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