International Quality of Life Month is observed in January — a time to focus on how a person living with chronic hepatitis B can improve their quality of life. But, you may ask, how is it possible to prevent negativity from pulling you into a rut when you have a chronic condition such as hepatitis B? Being more positive can help lift your spirits. When you do this, you can improve your health-related quality of life!

Here are some tips and suggestions on how you can improve your quality of life:

• Make healthy lifestyle changes. You can develop a healthy lifestyle by starting a healthy diet, an exercise routine or incorporating daily meditation.
• Keep a journal. It's a great opportunity to chronicle your progress towards a healthy lifestyle, and keep track of other milestones in your life.
• Find inspiration. Hear from others who may be going through the same thing. You can browse through our #justB and B the Voice storytellers to learn about how some people are coping with hepatitis B and liver cancer.
• Connect with a good support system. 

Fighting back: Living with hepatitis B in Uganda

Kenneth's personal experience with hepatitis B, including losing a friend to the disease and his own diagnosis, led him to create Uganda's National Organization for People with Hepatitis B, learn more.

The organization is focused on eliminating stigma, increasing awareness, and advocating for services for people with hepatitis B.

Please see his story here.

Big win for people living with hepatitis B who get their medication through CVS Caremark

The Hepatitis B Foundation and Hep B United, along with our network of patients, providers, and partners, have successfully advocated for continued access to the hepatitis B medication Vemlidy once again!

Last July, CVS Caremark -- one of the largest pharmacy benefit managers --

stopped providing coverage for Vemlidy, forcing many individuals to appeal the decision or pay the full cost of the medication out of pocket.

Our community took swift action. Together, we gathered over 210 signatures for a petition encouraging CVS Caremark to provide coverage for this essential medication.

The company has now resumed coverage of Vemlidy for all CVS and Aetna commercial plans. 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 medication! We firmly believe 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 continued access to this life-saving drug.

New online learning tool for all to use

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. Everyone is welcome! The online tool was developed by the Foundation, working in collaboration with HepBcommunity.org and the Westmead Institute for Medical Research. Please read more here.

Check out this new clinical trial opportunity! GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) is launching two phase 3 studies called B Well-1 and B-Well-2, which will test an experimental drug (bepirovirsen) as a potential treatment for hepatitis B.

Phase 2 clinical trial results showed that 24-weeks of treatment with bepirovirsen resulted in reduced HBsAg and hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA. To participate in the new phase 3 B Well studies, people need to be at least 18 years old (although the minimum age requirement may be higher in some countries); have a documented hepatitis B infection for the last six months; and have been on antiviral therapy with a nucleoside/nucleotide analogue (NA, such as tenofovir or entecavir) for at least 6 months.

In the phase 3 B Well study, participants will be randomized into different study groups. Some people will be given bepirovirsen to add to their current NA, to see if this results in greater reduction of HBsAg and HBV DNA – and to see if this reduction is sustained after treatment ends. Some people will receive a placebo. The study is being run in many countries around the world. To find out more information and see if you might be eligible, please visit www.bwellstudy.com. 

Physicians: Consider a listing in our Physician Directory

Register today for B Informed!

A Hepatitis B Virtual Education Series

Webinar: Community Education Outreach Toolkit

Join Hep B United for a webinar focused on advancing community education outreach efforts for hepatitis B.

This webinar will highlight the launch of the newly introduced Community Education Outreach Toolkits for Asian communities, and provide insights into the progress achieved through the previously launched African outreach toolkit.

New B Heppy Podcast: Barriers to Liver Cancer Screening Among People Living with Hepatitis B

B Heppy is a podcast aimed to inform and help individuals living with hepatitis B through discussing various topics related to hepatitis B. You'll hear from other people who are living with hepatitis B, doctors, scientists and public health professionals as we tackle new topics every other week. 

In this episode, Bright and Anousha talk with Neehar Parikh, MD, hepatologist at the University of Michigan, about the relationship between hepatitis B and liver cancer, disparities in liver cancer rates and barriers to liver cancer screening in the U.S. and globally.

Click here for the podcast.

Neehar Parikh, MD Hepatologist

University of Michigan

New Blog Post: CHIPO Partner Highlight

Community Vision Group

Read the newest blog post from the Coalition Against Hepatitis for People of African Origin [CHIPO], highlighting one of our member organizations, Community Vision Group and their work in Malawi and Cameroon! 

Read the full post here.

New fact sheets in nine languages

We've created printable fact sheets to educate the public on hepatitis delta. There are long-form and short-form fact sheets plus one designed for providers.

Topics range from hepatitis D testing and management, to treatments and clinical trial opportunities. Materials have been translated into English, Spanish, Russian, Romanian, Mongolian, Igbo, Yoruba, Hindi and Urdu. They're posted here.  

Learn more: www.hepdconnect.org

Enhancing Hepatitis B Care Competency through Project ECHO:

A Program Evaluation

Freeland C, Bruckbauer J, Qureshi A, Huynh K, Rutland M, Fenkel J,

Torgersen J, Rothstein K, Gish R, Cohen C

Journal of Digestive Diseases and Hepatology

Published Dec. 27, 2023, Volume 8, Issue 03

This research, conducted by a team that included four professionals with the Hepatitis B Foundation, provides further evidence of the Project ECHO model's value and usefulness for training healthcare providers. The program is effective for enhancing hepatitis B infection care competence among PCPs, which aligns with public health goals of mitigating the burden of HBV.

The model of Project ECHO connects experts to resource-limited settings, which emphasizes the role of telehealth in knowledge dissemination. Ongoing projects utilizing this model could be instrumental in bolstering healthcare education in underserved regions and encouraging the decentralization of knowledge from specialty care to PCPs. The authors suggest that further research should assess the long-term impact of the ECHO program on outcomes among patients with HBV and refine it to address specific care needs. This paper offers valuable insights for public health officials and educators involved in healthcare professional development. The findings should guide similar initiatives for other diseases.

The authors state that the Project ECHO model facilitates the development of a more competent and confident primary care workforce and has the potential to improve the management of diseases worldwide.

Jan. 16: B Informed! Hepatitis B Virtual Education Series

Jan. 30: Webinar - Community Education Outreach Toolkit

April 5: Hepatitis B Foundation Gala

April 9-11: World Hepatitis Summit, Lisbon

Sept. 11-15: International HBV Meeting, Chicago