WHAT:
The National Institutes of Health has updated its Strategic Plan for NIH Research to Cure Hepatitis B , a roadmap for ending the hepatitis B epidemic, focused on developing a cure as well as improved strategies for vaccination, screening and follow-up care. The revised plan incorporates lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic and recent advances in technology. The plan aligns with the Department of Health and Human Services’ Viral Hepatitis National Strategic Plan and is designed to be a part of the agency’s ongoing response to the effects of this disease.
Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is transmitted through contact with infected bodily fluids, such as via sexual contact or sharing needles or from a mother to her baby at birth. Most people with HBV infection experience short-term illness and some may not have any symptoms. However, other people, especially those infected early in life, will develop a chronic infection and may suffer from liver-related complications, including cirrhosis, liver failure or liver cancer. Left untreated, these complications can be life-threatening. While there is no cure for hepatitis B, highly effective vaccines can prevent HBV infection, and oral antiviral agents and other therapeutics can slow the progression of hepatitis B complications.
In 2019, NIH issued its first strategic plan for hepatitis B research, created by a collaborative working group of science and policy experts from across the agency. The working group is led by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and now includes representatives from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases; the National Cancer Institute; the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities; the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism; the National Institute on Drug Abuse; and the NIH Office of the Director.
The updated plan details three priorities:
Through this updated plan and with ongoing coordination between institutes, NIH aspires to make significant progress in the scientific understanding of hepatitis B to discover a cure and end the epidemic.
WHO:
Anthony S. Fauci, M.D., director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, is available for comment.
CONTACT:
To schedule interviews, please contact Elizabeth Deatrick, (301) 402-1663, NIAIDNews@niaid.nih.gov.
NIAID conducts and supports research—at NIH, throughout the United States, and worldwide—to study the causes of infectious and immune-mediated diseases, and to develop better means of preventing, diagnosing and treating these illnesses. News releases, fact sheets and other NIAID-related materials are available on the NIAID website.
About the National Institutes of Health (NIH): NIH, the nation's medical research agency, includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIH is the primary federal agency conducting and supporting basic, clinical, and translational medical research, and is investigating the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit https://www.nih.gov/.
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