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December 2022
Happy holidays & best wishes for an excellent 2023

from everyone at the Hepatitis B Foundation!
Open letter to Gavi: hepatitis B birth dose vaccine can't wait
The Foundation has signed on to an open letter to Gavi, the international vaccine alliance, urging them to move forward with their hepatitis B birth dose campaign. This campaign would save the next generation from this preventable liver disease.

The letter was organized by the World Hepatitis Alliance and includes sign-ons from our organization, the CDA Foundation, Coalition for Global Hepatitis Elimination, Hepatitis Australia, Hepatitis Fund, Médecins Sans Frontières Access Campaign, PATH, TREAT Asia/amfAR, Foundation for AIDS Research and Union for International Cancer Control.

Read the letter in The Lancet Gastroenterology and Hepatology here.
Watch the video:
Peter #justB storyteller explains monthly donations!
“Hi! My name is Peter and I am an ambassador for the Hepatitis B Foundation and a monthly donor. I care about hepatitis B because I know firsthand that if left undetected and untreated, it can destroy the liver.

"There is still a lot of work left to increase awareness, link people to care and even possibly find a cure. Please join me to become a monthly donor at www.hepb.org/Peter.

"It’s quick and easy and you can cancel at any time. You can make a difference and ensure that resources are always available to people living with hepatitis B.”
"Spotlight on Stigma" podcast
"Spotlight on Stigma" is a recent episode of the podcast series "Spotlight on Hepatitis B" from the UNSW Centre for Social Research in Australia.

Hepatitis B Foundation President Dr. Chari Cohen, our colleagues Catherine Freeland and Yasmin Ibrahim, and Dr. Thomas Tu, University of Sydney, were the guests.

Please check out the insightful program (here) and share with your family, friends and followers on social media.
New "B Heppy" podcast:
Questions you should ask your doctor
In this episode, Evangeline and Bright discuss questions you should ask your doctor regarding your hepatitis B status. This episode is intended to prompt our listeners to take charge of their health and be their own advocates while at a doctor's appointment. 

Please listen here. You can find all the podcast episodes here or anywhere you get your podcasts.

AND, if you'd like to suggest a topic for B Heppy, please send an email to info@hepb.org.
Foundation plays major role in decision by the
U.S. Public Health Service Corps to
accept future applicants living with hepatitis B
The Hepatitis B Foundation applauds the decision of the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps to accept future applicants living with chronic hepatitis B infection and HIV.

The USPHS Commissioned Corps announced the change Dec. 1, which was World AIDS Day. Previously, HIV and hepatitis B infection were both considered disqualifying medical conditions. This new decision reflects the latest scientific evidence and opens the door for applicants with hepatitis B and HIV to serve as uniformed Public Health Service officers.

Read more about the decision and the Foundation's involvement here.
#justB Patient: FK's story
After overcoming a difficult childhood in Burkina Faso, FK worked hard to move to the U.S. and eventually, her mother joined her. FK was diagnosed with hepatitis B six months after arriving, so she began educating herself and encouraging family and friends to get screened.

Despite the stigma and lack of knowledge around hepatitis B in her community, which has impacted her relationships, FK is working to address these misconceptions and is hopeful for the future.  

FK's story is available in English and French.
Watch her video here.
Living with hepatitis B and diabetes
November was American Diabetes Awareness Month! The Hepatitis B Foundation invited Dr. Tatyana Kushner, Theresa Worthington, and Marcia Mukanga Lange from Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai Hospital to explain more about the relationship between hepatitis B and Diabetes. 

Diabetes and hepatitis B are linked in ways that are important for patients and healthcare professionals to be aware of in order to improve outcomes in patients with chronic hepatitis B. The great news is that through healthy lifestyle changes, patients with chronic hepatitis B and diabetes can take ownership of their health and manage their diabetes. 

Read the blog here
N.Y.C. marathon success: All Run4TeamHepB runners finished!
Just $199 gets you access to the International HBV Meeting
Nearly 600 scientists, clinicians and others from 31 countries attended the 2022 International HBV Meeting last month. You can access all of the groundbreaking content for $199. Learn more here.

We also have videos from the event that you can watch for free:
Consult Corner:
Taking care of your liver
We answer an abundance of questions each month about various topics. This month, as we look toward making new year's resolutions, we are sharing this resource on how to take care of your liver.

Please read here.
Emerging Scholars Scientific and Medical Advisory Board
journal article pick of the month
Efficacy and safety of bepirovirsen in chronic hepatitis B infection
Yuen M-F, Lim S-G, Plesniak R, et al.


2022 Nov 24;387(21):1957-1968. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa2210027. Epub 2022 Nov 8.
For December our presenting emerging scholar is 
Peter Block, MD, MSc, at left.

The search for an HBV cure has been an area of active investigation for decades. While the backbone of our current treatment – nucleotide/nucleoside analogues (NAs) – can suppress the virus, they rarely eradicate it. The scientific community has therefore sought to develop novel therapeutics with curative effects. The article highlighted here describes the clinical efficacy of bepirovirsen, a new antiviral agent that may bring us closer to this goal. Read the rest of the synopsis here.
March 10 - William S. Mason Symposium
Details TBA
March 10 - Hepatitis B Foundation Gala
Learn more about our research and education programs at www.hepb.org
The Hepatitis B Foundation is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to finding a cure and improving the quality of life for those affected by hepatitis B worldwide. Our commitment includes funding focused research, promoting disease awareness, supporting immunization and treatment initiatives, and serving as the primary source of information for patients and their families, the medical and scientific community, and the general public.
Hepatitis B Foundation I 3805 Old Easton Road Doylestown, PA 18902 I
215-489-4900 I info@hepb.org