Reflecting on World Hepatitis Day

Joining in the global commemoration of World Hepatitis Day, our team and extended community engaged in a number of activities that week, from special social media messaging to a new position statement calling for expanded treatment for hepatitis B (see below) and our B Informed Patient Conference in Philadelphia.

Some of the 75 people who came to our July 27 Patient Conference

The half-day event brought together people living with hepatitis B, clinicians treating them and public health experts engaged in the field at Thomas Jefferson University. Topics included understanding and managing a hepatitis B diagnosis, liver cancer research at the Kimmel Cancer Center, the path towards a cure for hep B and future treatments in the pipeline. Please read more here.

A call to Expand Hep B Treatment:

Hepatitis B Foundation Position Statement

In honor of World Hepatitis Day 2024, the Hepatitis B Foundation has released a new position statement calling for expanded hepatitis B treatment around the world. We are bringing the patient voice and community experience to the table with the support of scientific and expert opinions. Please read the statement and speak up for people living with hepatitis B by signing it at the bottom, click here.

August is Immunization Awareness Month

Hepatitis B vaccination is crucial for protecting against liver cancer, liver scarring and liver disease. It's the first vaccine a baby receives, yet most adults born before 1991 are not vaccinated. The vaccine is safe, effective and usually covered by insurance.

During August, which is National Immunization Awareness Month in the U.S., we highlight the importance of getting vaccinated. Just a few shots can provide lifelong protection. Ask your doctor about liver cancer protection today!

We've posted social media graphics and a new #justB story that you can share here.

Learn more about the hepatitis B vaccination recommendations here.

5th Annual Hep B Community Forum

Join Us for the 5th Annual Hep B Community Forum on Sept. 11. You can participate online or attend in person at the Sheraton Grand in Chicago. It's an excellent opportunity for people living with hepatitis B and community members to share their insights and experiences!

• If you're a member of the public and wish to register for the Community Forum in-person, please click here to register.

• To attend online only, click here to register.



Registration is free, and it is required. Don't miss out on this valuable event!

B Heppy Podcast

Storyteller highlights: Lynette's journey with Hepatitis B

In this episode, Bright and Anousha spoke with Lynette, a storyteller living with hepatitis B. Lynette shares thoughts about her diagnosis and what encouraged her to make the decision to get treatment to manage her health.

• Listen to the podcast here.

• Watch Lynette's #BtheVoice story here.

Survey: COVID-19 vaccine perspectives

Please consider contributing your time and experience to an important study that focuses on underrepresentation of specific populations in clinical trials for the

COVID-19 vaccine!  

• What’s the study about? We want to gain an understanding about the factors that influenced your willingness to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, and how different information sources impacted your decision to get vaccinated or not.

• Eligibility: Age 18 or older, of African / South-East Asian / Western Pacific, or Latin American origin.

• Survey details: Your responses will be anonymous, and the survey takes less than 25 minutes!  

Your insights will help public health and research organizations develop effective communication strategies tailored for your community, which can help enhance inclusion and diversity in future drug development studies! 

DeWayne, #justB Featured Storyteller

For Immunization Awareness Month, we're featuring a new story from DeWayne, a #just B storyteller.

DeWayne contracted chronic hep B from a blood transfusion he received as a child almost 40 years ago. Living in rural Georgia, he struggles with access to proper care, traveling 360 miles every six months to receive treatment.

Dewayne encourages all adults to get vaccinated to prevent hepatitis B. Watch his story here.

You, too, can be one of our storytellers. If you're interested in telling your story of how hepatitis B has affected your life, we want to hear from you. Learn more here.

Our new "Learn the Link" campaign with Dung Hua of the

Vital Access Care Foundation: a blog in Vietnamese

We met with Dung Hua of the Vital Access Care Foundation to translate one of our blogs into Vietnamese.

In the blog, Dung talks about her experiences addressing hepatitis B and liver cancer in her community, as well as her contribution to the Learn the Link campaign.

Learn the Link is raising awareness about the link between chronic hepatitis B infection and liver cancer in a culturally appropriate way for communities that are most impacted.

Read the original blog about the Hep B Foundation’s Learn the Link Campaign with Dung Hua of the Vital Access Care Foundation in English here.

Updates to our "B Informed Training Hub," open to everyone!

The Hepatitis B Foundation and partners have launched a cost-free training website, the "B Informed Training Hub,” for people who want to learn more about hepatitis B and hepatitis D. This site provides training, education and resources on hepatitis B, hepatitis D and liver cancer for anyone who wants to learn more. All are welcome, especially people living with hepatitis B, their family and friends, and advocates!

We've just updated the lessons below, which are posted here.

• What Is Hepatitis B?
• Acute vs Chronic Hepatitis B
• Hepatitis Delta 101: All the Basics on Hepatitis Delta Virus (hep D or HDV)
• The Link Between Hepatitis B and Liver Cancer

Hepatitis B Provider Training

We invite you to become a part of our provider training program using the Project ECHO Model. The sessions, designed around case-based learning and mentorship, help local workers gain the expertise required to provide needed services. Each session will include one case discussion and a short 15-minute didactic aimed to empower providers to evaluate, monitor and treat patients with hepatitis B in the primary care setting. Free CME is provided.

Project ECHO mission:

• Provide basic education on hepatitis B testing
• Provide education on hepatitis B management
• Improve testing and management of hepatitis B

Recordings of previous ECHO sessions are available here.

New and improved website for the Baruch S. Blumberg Institute

The Blumberg Institute, the research arm of the Hepatitis B Foundation, launched a new innovative website.

The institute supports drug and biomarker discovery and translational biotechnology around common research themes such as chronic hepatitis and liver cancer in an environment conducive to interaction, collaboration and focus.

To learn more, visit the new website here.

Deep mutational scanning of hepatitis B virus reveals a mechanism for cis-preferential reverse transcription

Yu Y, Kass MA, Zhang M, Youssef N, Freije CA, Brock KP, Aguado LC, Seifert LL, Venkittu S, Hong X, Shlomai A, de Jong YP, Marks DS, Rice CM, Schneider WM

Cell Press

[Link to article]

8 May, 2024, Volume 187, Issue 11, P2735-2745.E12

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is a small double-stranded DNA virus that chronically infects 296 million people. Over half of its compact genome encodes proteins in two overlapping reading frames, and during evolution, multiple selective pressures can act on shared nucleotides. This study combines an RNA-based HBV cell culture system with deep mutational scanning (DMS) to uncouple cis- and trans-acting sequence requirements in the HBV genome. The results support a leaky ribosome scanning model for polymerase translation, provide a fitness map of the HBV polymerase at single-nucleotide resolution, and identify conserved prolines adjacent to the HBV polymerase termination codon that stall ribosomes. Further experiments indicated that stalled ribosomes tether the nascent polymerase to its template RNA, ensuring cis-preferential RNA packaging and reverse transcription of the HBV genome.

• Aug.15: Hepatitis B Provider Training (see above)

• Sept. 11-15: International HBV Meeting, Chicago

• Sept. 11: International HBV Meeting Community Forum (see above)