Expand treatment for people living with hepatitis B, a group of leading clinicians and scientists say
For World Hepatitis Day, the Hepatitis B Foundation is issuing a powerful position statement
crafted by an ad hoc group of 28 experts.
Doylestown, Pa., July 28, 2024 – To honor World Hepatitis Day, the Hepatitis B Foundation has issued a powerful position statement urging expanded treatment for people living with hepatitis B around the world.
“The Hepatitis B Foundation takes the position that all people living with chronic hepatitis B and having any detectable hepatitis B viral DNA in the blood, should be considered eligible and offered treatment with currently available therapeutics, if ANY one of (five specific) criteria is met,” the statement says.
Those criteria are that: “They have a family history of cirrhosis or HCC (liver cancer); they are older than 30 years of age; they request treatment; they have evidence of liver inflammation or liver damage; and they have co-morbidities or other risk factors that support treatment.”
The position statement reflects consensus among a group of 28 clinical, scientific, public health and lived-experience experts, and brings together reflections from patient and community voices while remaining based in science.
Dr. Chari Cohen, President
Hepatitis B Foundation President Chari A. Cohen, DrPH, MPH, one of the 28 leading expert scientists and clinicians who jointly crafted the statement, said: “Very few people in the world are being treated for hepatitis B, yet scientific evidence shows that people who aren’t currently recommended for treatment are still getting living cancer, they are still getting liver cirrhosis and they are still dying of hepatitis B-related disease. We want to make it easier for more people to get treated.”
Secondarily, Dr. Cohen said, it was the group’s desire to encourage discussion around simplifying treatment for hepatitis B.
“We need to make it simpler for providers and patients around the world to initiate treatment for hepatitis B, and we hope that this statement can be used to help close current gaps in treatment,” Dr. Cohen said.
While there is a goal to eliminate hepatitis B globally by 2030, most of the world is falling short in diagnosing, caring for and treating people with hepatitis B. In 2019, only 10% of the more than 296 million people worldwide with a chronic hepatitis B infection had been diagnosed and just 2% were treated. Meeting the elimination goals and saving lives will require a radical simplification of treatment criteria and care pathways to overcome barriers to access for both hepatitis B testing and treatment.
About hepatitis B: The world’s most common serious liver infection, chronic hepatitis B, is caused by a virus that attacks and injures the liver. Each year up to 1 million people die from hepatitis B worldwide, even though it is preventable and treatable. Hepatitis B is a “silent epidemic” because most people do not have symptoms when they are newly or chronically infected. Thus, they can unknowingly infect others and continue the spread of hepatitis B. For people who are chronically infected but don’t have any symptoms, their livers still are being silently damaged, which can result in serious liver diseases such as cirrhosis or liver cancer.
About the Hepatitis B Foundation: As the world’s leading hepatitis B advocacy and research organization, the Hepatitis B Foundation is one of the most active proponents of improving hepatitis B screening, prevention, and treatment of the disease. We are the only nonprofit organization solely dedicated to finding a cure for hepatitis B and improving the quality of life for those affected worldwide through research, education and patient advocacy. Founded in 1991, the Hepatitis B Foundation is based in Doylestown, Pa., with offices in Washington, D.C., and Philadelphia. To learn more, go to www.hepb.org, read our blog at hepb.org/blog, follow us on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook (@hepbfoundation) or call us at 215-489-4900.