Experts share global scientific strategy for a hepatitis B cure 

An international coalition of scientific experts, patients, and health organizations dedicated to finding a cure for chronic hepatitis B is announcing today a global scientific strategy to help eliminate the disease. “The time for development and implementation of a safe, affordable, widely available cure for chronic hepatitis B for the 257 million people who are affected by HBV globally is now,” the International Coalition to Eliminate HBV says in a new policy paper. Only 10% of individuals infected with hepatitis B in 2016 actually knew about their status, so the group recommends more widespread testing for the virus worldwide. The group also laid out two main scientific strategies for those working on treatments for hepatitis B: curing the disease without killing infected liver cells, and finding a way for the immune system to safely eliminate infection.