As the year comes to a close, we extend our warmest wishes for a joyful holiday season to you and your loved ones. This time of year reminds us of the power of community, compassion and resilience.

We are deeply grateful for your continued support in our mission to improve the lives of those impacted by hepatitis B.

Together, we’ve made meaningful progress in raising awareness, advancing research and supporting global health.

The Hepatitis B Foundation has announced that Pei-Jer Chen, MD, PhD, a distinguished investigator at the National Taiwan University and globally recognized expert on liver diseases, has been chosen to receive its 2025 Baruch S. Blumberg Prize.

Dr. Chen was chosen by a committee of former Blumberg Prize recipients. Please read more here.

Make a difference this Giving Tuesday

Hepatitis B is the leading cause of liver cancer worldwide. The Hepatitis B Foundation works toward a cure for this disease every day and supports the 300 million people who have hepatitis B and their families. One way we do this is through our Storytelling Program (www.hepbstories.org), which features real people talking about their lived experience with hepatitis B. Their stories raise global awareness and address the stigma surrounding a positive diagnosis.

For #GivingTuesday, please support our Storytelling Program. Your investment will help us fight stigma, educate stakeholders and save lives.

One of the world's top hepatitis B scientists, Fabien Zoulim, MD, of France's Lyon University, came to our campus last month and delivered the Bruce Witte Memorial lecture to a large audience in-person and an even larger audience online.

His take-home messages about new therapies in development for hepatitis B and D were quite encouraging. You can find the recording here.

Dr. Fabien Zoulim

New clinical trial opportunity available for people

living with chronic hepatitis B virus infection 

Check out this new clinical trial opportunity! GSK is launching a phase 2b study called B-United, which will test a study drug called daplusiran/tomligisiran (DAP/TOM) followed by another study drug called bepirovirsen as a potential new treatment for chronic hepatitis B virus infection.   

You may be eligible to participate in the B-United study if you: 

• Are at least 18 years old (the minimum age may be higher in some countries);  
• Have had diagnosed chronic hepatitis B infection documented for at least six months;  
• Have been on stable nucleoside/nucleotide analogue (NA) treatment (sometimes referred to as antivirals, such as tenofovir or entecavir) for the past 6 months, without any changes for the past 3 months.  

If eligible, you will continue NA treatment and receive an investigational therapy that consists of: 

1. daplusiran/tomligisiran OR placebo for 24 weeks followed by 
2. bepirovirsen for 24 weeks 



Following study treatment with daplusiran/tomligisiran (or placebo) and bepirovirsen, you will continue your NA treatment for 24 more weeks. The study doctor will then determine if you can stop your NA treatment and, if so, you will be off-NA treatment for up to 28 weeks while closely monitored by the study doctor. 

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.BUnitedStudy.com. 

Hep Delta Connect expands resources for hepatitis D testing

The Hep Delta Connect website has been updated with a comprehensive set of resources to help people locate hepatitis delta testing in regions with higher prevalence rates. Currently, the sites offers resources for 15 countries (see below), with detailed information to support individuals, health care providers and advocates in accessing testing and care.

Visit our website to explore these new tools and join us in advancing awareness, prevention and treatment of hepatitis delta worldwide!

Newly translated Haitian Creole materials

We’re proud to share newly translated Haitian Creole materials that highlight the vital connection between hepatitis B and liver cancer. These resources are designed to raise awareness, encourage early screening and improve access to care within Haitian communities.

Explore these culturally adapted tools and share them to help spread lifesaving information! Together, we can make a difference.

You can find the fact sheets, flyers and infographics here.

 Seeking youth & adolescent perspectives on hepatitis B

The Hepatitis B Foundation wants to learn about the experiences of young people living with hepatitis B to improve care and support. If you or someone you know is a youth with hepatitis B, you can participate in a brief screening #survey. Your insights will help inform clinicians and healthcare professionals about the unique needs of youth and adolescents. Sign up here.

Questions? Reach out to Catherine.Freeland@hepb.org

TWiV podcast at the 2024 International HBV Meeting

At the 2024 International HBV Meeting in Chicago, TWiV hosted a fascinating conversation with hepatitis B experts Dr. Mala Maini and Dr. John Tavis, covering their careers, insights into the science around hepatitis B and the mission and work of the Hepatitis B Foundation. Founder and co-host Vincent Racaniello, known as "Earth’s Virology Professor,” lends his expertise from Columbia University to make virology accessible to all through education.

Catch this enlightening episode to learn more about HBV here.

B Heppy podcast: Hepatitis B Reactivation with Dr. Robert Gish

Dr. Robert Gish

In this episode, Anousha and Bright talk with Dr. Robert Gish, the Hepatitis B Foundation's medical director, about hepatitis B reactivation, a serious health issue often overlooked in discussions of hepatitis B and liver cancer. Learn more about Dr. Gish through his website.

New Blog: Interview with hepatitis delta advocate, Dr. Carla Coffin

Dr. Carla Coffin

The Coalition against Hepatitis for People of African Origin (CHIPO), led by the Hepatitis B Foundation, unites individuals and organizations focused on combating hepatitis B in African communities worldwide.

This month, CHIPO interviewed the Africa Health Research Institute (AHRI) in South Africa, highlighting its mission and impactful work in hepatitis B care. Read the blog here to learn more about this inspiring organization’s contributions!

Hepatitis B ECHO Program

Project ECHO is case-based learning sessions between hepatitis B specialists and primary care providers. The sessions, designed around case-based learning and mentorship, help local workers gain the expertise required to provide needed services. Each session includes 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. If you're not able to attend any of our live sessions this year, we invite you to view previously recorded ECHO sessions here.

Editorial: Overcoming Hepatitis B Vaccine Nonresponsiveness

JAMA

Dec. 1, 2024

https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2827547

Ivan Hung, MD; Anna S. Lok, MD [Dr. Lok is a Hepatitis B Foundation 

scientific and medical advisor.]

The authors noted that a key to eliminating hepatitis B is vaccination, but "10% to 30% of adults who complete a conventional vaccine course do not achieve seroprotection. The availability of more immunogenic vaccines, such as the HepB-CpG vaccine, is a step forward in increasing the percentage of individuals who achieve seroprotection and providing earlier and more durable protection." They concluded that, even with more effective vaccines that produce complete seroprotection, "elimination of new HBV infection will require strategies to ensure access and improve uptake."

• April 4, 2025 - Hepatitis B Foundation Annual Gala