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October is Liver Cancer Awareness Month:
Prioritizing Prevention, Early Detection and Liver Health
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Learn more:
Liver Cancer Awareness Month Media Toolkit.
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October is officially Liver Cancer Awareness Month—a critical time to shed light on a serious, yet often preventable, consequence of untreated chronic hepatitis B and D.
Liver cancer rates have continued to rise globally, and in the U.S., rates have tripled since 1980. With an estimated 300 million people worldwide living with hepatitis B, it is more important than than ever to raise awareness of the connection between chronic hepatitis B, liver damage and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC)—the most common form of liver cancer.
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Exciting News: FDA approves bepirovirsen
as a new treatment option for chronic hepatitis B
| | | | We are thrilled to share a monumental update for the chronic hepatitis B (CHB) community. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has officially approved bepirovirsen (Hibsago), developed by GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), for the treatment of CHB in adults. This marks the first new therapy approved in the U.S. in 10 years and introduces the very first treatment capable of achieving a functional cure. Please read the full press release here. | | Join us online for the 2026 Bruce Witte Lecture | | Please join us online for the 2026 Bruce Witte Lecture, “What is the Role of Antivirals in Hepatitis B Cure?”— presented by Mark Sulkowski, MD. | | | | |
Mark Sulkowski, MD, is a professor of medicine and the senior asssociate dean for clinical trials at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, where he is also the founding director of the Office of Clinical Trials. Dr. Sulkowski is the medical director of the Viral Hepatitis Center in the Divisions of Infectious Diseases and Gastroenterology/Hepatology, which he established in 1998 as one of the first clinics in the world dedicated to people with HIV and viral hepatitis co-infection.
You can learn more about Prof. Sulkowski here.
| | | Thursday, Nov. 12, 2026 | 11 a.m. EST | Virtual — Please register here. | | |
Empowering Communities and Driving Policy:
The First NAIRHHA Day National Leadership and Policy Institute in D.C.
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In recognition of National African Immigrant and Refugee HIV/AIDS and Hepatitis Awareness (NAIRHHA) Day, the Hepatitis B Foundation—in partnership with the Multicultural AIDS Coalition—proudly hosted the inaugural NAIRHHA Day National Leadership and Policy Institute in Washington, D.C.
This landmark event brought together leaders to strengthen the national infrastructure and capacity of African-led organizations working tirelessly to address hepatitis B, HIV and related health inequities within African immigrant and refugee communities.
| | Support the 2026 TCS New York City Marathon #Run4HepB Team | | |
Please join us in cheering on the #Run4HepB Team who are running to make every step count:
- Aaron Rak
- Bharat Dixit
- Callum Clifford
- Emma Thomson
- Jennifer Banz
- Juliana Kugelmas
- Ryan DiLeva
| | The Hepatitis B Foundation is an Official Charity Partner for the 2026 TCS New York City Marathon, which has become one of our best means for raising funds to support the fight against hepatitis B. | | | |
From Evidence to Action:
How BEACON-HCC Is Shaping
Liver Cancer Care
| In this episode, we chat with Dr. Amit Singal, chief of hepatology at UT Southwestern Medical Center and Dr. Mark Yarchoan, associate professor of oncology at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine about their newly published BEACON-HCC framework. | |  | Could a Blood Test Detect Liver Cancer Recurrence Earlier? | Cancer recurrence is a big worry after liver cancer treatment. Because of this, regular follow-up appointments are important to help detect any recurrence as early as possible, when additional treatment options may be most effective. Researchers are studying whether a simple blood test could help find signs of cancer earlier than scans can. Read the full blog here. | | | Podcast | Hepatitis Delta: Dialogues on the Journey | | | | |
A dialogue about hepatitis delta was featured at the annual Association for Diagnostics & Laboratory Medicine (ADLM) meeting.
Hosted by DiaSorin Inc., the podcast conversation featured Darlene, an individual with lived experience; Dr. Chari Cohen, a public health expert and President of the Hepatitis B Foundation; and clinician, Medical Director of the Foundation, Dr. Robert Gish.
| | Help us improve hepatitis B care & treatment access in Africa | | The African Hepatitis B Advocacy Coalition (ABAC), a program of the Hepatitis B Foundation, is launching a crucial survey to better understand the current landscape of hepatitis B care, challenges in accessing treatment, and areas where we can make a real difference. This will inform global and national strategies to improve equitable access to treatment. | The survey is available in English and French. | | | Share your voice on the Foundation's quality-of-life survey | | | | |
The Hepatitis B Foundation is seeking participants for a new research study titled HepB PROACTive (Hepatitis B: Patient-Reported Outcomes, Adherence and Quality-of-Life Tracking).
The goal of this program is to better understand the daily experiences, treatment challenges and overall well-being of individuals living with chronic hepatitis B. We're seeking adults age 18+ with hepatitis B living anywhere in the world.
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Urgent Update: Hepatitis B Foundation and
ABAC denounce proposed Guinea-Bissau study
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The Hepatitis B Foundation (HBF) and the African Hepatitis B Advocacy Coalition (ABAC) have issued a strong statement opposing the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ plan to support a hepatitis B birth dose study in Guinea-Bissau.
In response, we, along with our partners, have drafted a letter to the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention asking them to stop the study. Please sign your organization on to the letter here.
| | | | Oct. 27, 2026 | 12 - 4 p.m. EDT | B Informed Liver Cancer Conference
Virtual Event | Register here. | | Nov. 1, 2026 | #Run4HepB Team in the NYC Marathon | | Nov. 12, 2026 | 11 a.m. EDT | Bruce Witte Lecture | Register here. | | | Journal article of the month | |
Ibrahim, Y., Machado, T., Borondy-Jenkins, F., Koirala, S., Dong, M., Tham, E., Sankare, I., Ali, M., Hua, D., Che, A., & Cohen, C. (2026). Factors affecting willingness to participate in hepatitis B clinical trials among diverse United States populations: Mitigating missed opportunities. Global Health Journal, 10(2), 161-168. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.glohj.2026.06.003
While diverse participation in hepatitis B clinical trials is vital for evaluating new therapies, minority populations remain significantly underrepresented due to barriers like a lack of awareness and poor communication. To address this, a recent study investigated the specific factors influencing the willingness of Asian, African, and Pacific Islander communities living with hepatitis B to participate in clinical research.
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The Hepatitis B Foundation is a nonprofit organization working around the world to improve the lives of those affected by hepatitis B, hepatitis D and liver cancer; drive prevention, diagnosis and treatment and accelerate scientific research to achieve cures. | |
| Learn more about our research and education programs at www.hepb.org | | | | | | |
