• What Is Hepatitis B?

• 
  What Is Hepatitis B?
  • Hepatitis B Facts and Figures
  • Hepatitis B Symptoms
  • Acute vs. Chronic Hepatitis B
• The ABCs of Viral Hepatitis
• 
  Liver Cancer and Hepatitis B
  • Liver Cancer Awareness Month
  • Liver Cancer Awareness Month Media Toolkit
• Hepatitis Delta Coinfection
• Hepatitis C Coinfection
• HIV/AIDS Coinfection
• 
  Frequently Asked Questions about Hepatitis B
  • What is hepatitis B?
  • Why is hepatitis B so dangerous?
  • Is there a cure for hepatitis B?
  • What treatments (medicines) are available for chronic hepatitis B?
  • If the currently approved hepatitis B drugs do not provide a cure, then how are they helping?
  • What can I do if I live in the U.S. and the insurance co-pay for my hepatitis B drugs costs too much for me to buy them?
  • Is there any special diet for people living with chronic hepatitis B infection?
  • What blood tests are important to diagnose and evaluate my hepatitis B infection?
  • Does everyone with chronic hepatitis B need to take medicine?
  • Will herbals, natural “remedies”, Ayurveda or Traditional Chinese Medicine, supplements, or vitamins and minerals control hepatitis B?
  • If I don’t need to take medicine for my hepatitis B at this time, what must I do to support my liver?
  • Can a hepatitis B infection be prevented? How can I protect my loved ones?
  • Is the hepatitis B vaccine safe?
  • Is the hepatitis B vaccine safe during pregnancy?
  • Can I catch hepatitis B from the vaccine?
  • If I started the vaccine series but didn't complete my 2nd or 3rd dose on schedule, do I have to start over?
  • I received my vaccine years ago--am I still protected?
  • Should I get the hepatitis B vaccine if I have a chronic HBV infection or have recovered from a past infection?
  • Where can I get vaccinated against hepatitis B in the USA?
  • What should I do if I am diagnosed with chronic hepatitis B?
  • I am diagnosed with chronic hepatitis B, can I get married and have children?
  • I am currently pregnant, and I have chronic hepatitis B. What should I do to protect my baby?
  • Can I donate blood if I have hepatitis B?
  • If I have chronic hepatitis B infection, can I hug my children, partner or friend?
  • I’m in love, when and how do I tell my (prospective) partner that I have hepatitis B?
  • If hepatitis B is sexually transmitted, how come my partner isn’t infected?
  • If chronic hepatitis B is a silent disease, why do I have symptoms?
  • Sometimes I feel sad and depressed because of my hepatitis B status, what should I do?
  • What is the likelihood that someone infected with hepatitis B will develop liver cancer?
  • I’m living with hepatitis B, what should I do to reduce my risk of developing liver cancer?
  • My country does not have a clinical trial for hepatitis B. Is it possible to travel to another country to participate?
  • I keep hearing about a “Functional Cure” for chronic hepatitis B, what does this mean?

Is there a cure for hepatitis B?

There is no cure or medication that totally eliminates the virus or makes HBsAg negative, but there is hope. There are approved therapies for hepatitis B and many in development. First-line therapies in the U.S. and globally are entecavir, tenofovir (TDF) and tenofovir (TAF), which are antivirals. Sometimes, pegylated interferon is used. These drugs control and manage the virus and reduce potential liver damage. The virus is suppressed, liver enzymes and liver function tests may normalize and the liver is better able to heal. In rare cases, they may even get rid of the virus (HBsAg negative).

You might be interested in the recent Commentary on the Cure by Dr. Timothy Block, president of the Hepatitis B Foundation; Dr. Chari Cohen, our senior vice president; and Maureen Kamischke, the Foundation's patient engagement and consult specialist.

You might also listen to this podcast by HBF’s Dr. Tim Block, the co-founder of the Hepatitis B Foundation about efforts to find a cure, and how the time is right for these great medical discoveries to be achieved sometime soon.

For a complete list of FDA-approved drugs and other promising drugs in development for hepatitis B, visit our Drug Watch page.

Additional Resources:

• Progress toward a cure podcast
• Adults living with hepatitis B
• Learn more about clinical trials and new drugs in development here
• Learn about the drug development process here

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Find more Frequently Asked Questions here. 

 

Page updated 02/09/2022