Latest news with #HBV
Borneo Post
28-06-2025
- Health
- Borneo Post
Hepatitis B: A Silent illness that needs attention
Dr Lu Chee Men What Is Hepatitis B? Hepatitis B is a virus that attacks the liver and can cause both acute (short-term) and chronic (long-term) illness. A person with a chronic infection is referred to as a Hepatitis B carrier. The virus is spread through contact with infected blood or bodily fluids — such as during unprotected sex, sharing needles, or from mother to baby during childbirth. The younger a person is when they contract hepatitis B, the more likely they are to develop a chronic carrier state. In Malaysia, hepatitis B is considered an intermediate burden, meaning it's a significant health concern, and many people carry the virus without even knowing it. What Does It Mean to Be a Chronic Hepatitis B Carrier? If the virus remains in your body for more than six months, you are considered a chronic hepatitis B carrier. You may feel healthy and show no symptoms, but the virus could silently be causing long-term liver damage. Without regular medical follow-up, chronic hepatitis B can lead to liver cirrhosis (scarring of the liver), liver failure and liver cancer (hepatocellular carcinoma). These complications can be life-threatening but they are preventable with proper care and monitoring. Why Is Regular Follow-up So Important? Even if you feel fine, regular follow-up is crucial to monitor liver function and viral activity, detect early signs of liver damage or cancer, determine when to start treatment and protect your loved ones from infection. By seeing your doctor every six to 12 months, you can stay ahead of the disease and reduce the risk of serious complications. What Does Follow-up Usually Involve? Blood tests – to check liver enzymes, HBV DNA levels, and overall liver function Ultrasound scan or FibroScan – to assess liver damage/scarring and to detect for early sign of liver cancer Tumour marker test (AFP) – to detect early signs of liver cancer Antiviral treatment, if necessary Routine follow-up will help doctor to decide when to start treatment and catch liver problems early — before symptoms appear. When Does Hepatitis B Need to Be Treated? Treatment for hepatitis B is not always necessary. Patient may need antiviral therapy if there is evidence of active liver damage, such as elevated liver enzymes (ALT/AST), high levels of HBV DNA (viral load), inflammation or fibrosis shown on liver biopsy or elastography and signs of cirrhosis or scarring of the liver. In addition, treatment is required if the patient is immunocompromised or undergoing chemotherapy, to prevent reactivation. A pregnant woman has a high viral load — antiviral medication (usually tenofovir) is given during the third trimester to reduce the risk of mother-to-child transmission Prevention Is Better Than Cure The Hepatitis B vaccine is safe, effective and provides long-term protection. In Malaysia, the vaccine is part of the National Immunization Programme (NIP) and given to all infants since 1989. However, many adults borne before that remain unvaccinated. To prevent hepatitis B, here are things that can be done: Get vaccinated if you haven't already, practice safe sex (use condoms), avoid sharing needles, razors, or toothbrushes, ensure medical and dental procedures use sterilized equipment. All pregnant women should be screened for hepatitis B Last but not least, here are some of the common myths and facts about Hepatitis B You can get hepatitis B from casual contact like hugging or sharing food. Hepatitis B is not spread through casual contact. It is spread through blood and bodily fluids. If I feel fine, I don't need to see a doctor. Hepatitis B can be silent for years. Regular monitoring is essential to detect liver damage early. There is no hope if I have chronic hepatitis B. Many people live long, healthy lives with proper medical care and follow-up. Your Health Is in Your Hands Living with chronic hepatitis B is not a death sentence. Dr Lu Chee Men, Resident Consultant Gastroenterologist & Hepatologist, Internal Medicine Physician of KPJ Sabah Specialist Hospital advised the public that 'With regular check-ups and monitoring, many carriers live full, healthy lives. However, ignoring the condition increases the risk of serious liver disease.' Don't wait for symptoms. Don't assume you're fine just because you feel fine. Take control — get checked, follow up, and protect your liver.
New Indian Express
17-06-2025
- Health
- New Indian Express
Prolonged sitting, long hours on screens, less sleep can affect liver health
Q. Monsoon often triggers a spike in gastrointestinal infections. What are the most common liver-related complications observed during the season and how can those be prevented? A. Monsoon results in an increase in subsoil ground water, which can be contaminated by sewage leaks and this contaminated water can be transported to the wells and sometimes to households through the pipe water supply. Hepatitis E virus and hepatitis A virus are endemic in India and are excreted through human excreta. It can contaminate drinking water as well as food processed by such water. These viruses are transmitted to humans orally through contaminated water and food causing acute hepatitis manifesting as jaundice due to liver dysfunction. They can be prevented by drinking boiled and then cooled water or after treatment by due process of chlorination. Avoid eating foods from street vendors and prepared in unhygienic conditions. Q. As a leading hepatologist, what trends do you notice in liver disease prevalence over the last decade in India, particularly among the younger population? The prevalence of alcohol induced liver damage and fatty liver disease are rapidly increasing in India. The two problems constitute more than three-fourth of overt clinically damaged liver presenting in various stages of liver dysfunction. More than half of the hospital beds in a gastroenterology unit or even many medical units, comprise of advanced and not infrequently life threatening complications of these two etiology-induced liver damage. Though hepatitis B and hepatitis C associated chronic liver disease is in decreasing trend, it continues to be a problem. These conditions can lead to chronic liver disease like cirrhosis and liver cancer which often compromise quality and quantity of human life. All of them can be prevented by awareness, HBV vaccination, avoiding alcohol consumption and foods which cause obesity (sweets, processed foods, aerated drinks, saturated and trans-fats). Younger people are suffering from these diseases due to increased alcohol consumption, lack of regular physical exercise to reduce cardio-metabolic risk factors like obesity, diabetes, dyslipidaemia and hypertension etc. Q. NAFLD is now being called the silent epidemic. What factors are contributing to its rapid rise in urban and rural India? Sedentary lifestyle, consumption of junk foods, rapid rise in prevalence of type-2 diabetes mellitus, along with even moderate alcohol consumption (which often accompanies snacking causing additional unwanted calories consumption) are causing more and more fatty liver disease as well as liver damage in people. It is often due to both fat and alcohol which is medically known as Met-ALD (metabolic dysfunction - met with alcoholic liver disease). Q. How does NAFLD progress into more serious conditions like non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), cirrhosis, or even liver cancer and what early warning signs should people watch for? A. About 70% to 80% of diabetics and about 30% to 50% of overweight and obese people (BMI > 23 to 25 with abdominal obesity) may have increased fat in the liver which can progress to more advance liver damage like NASH, now renamed as MASH - Metabolic dysfunction associated steatohepatitis. It indicates liver inflammation and damage often leading to fibrosis. At least, 10% to 25% of people, depending upon the presence of various other factors like dyslipidaemia, diabetes, and even infrequent alcohol consumption, lack of physical activity and consumption of high-risk foods may progress to serious liver damage in the next 10 years. Such people are also more prone to heart attacks, strokes and cancers. Q. What are some under-discussed lifestyle factors, beyond alcohol and obesity that are damaging liver health these days? Prolonged sitting, more time spent on screen watching, less sleep, more consumption of carbohydrates and sweets, fried foods, frequent consumption of painkillers and many unwanted complementary alternative medicines even un-indicated hepatotoxic antibiotics may be associated with liver damage. Q. How do comorbidities like diabetes and hypertension worsen liver function or disease outcomes? Diabetes and hypertension are manifestations of metabolic dysfunction of the body due to lifestyle changes and often are associated with fatty liver, cardiac dysfunction, renal complications and many other abnormalities. Their association with pre-existing fatty liver are well known synergistic factors for progression of liver disease. Q. Given the rise in poly-pharmacy, especially in middle-aged individuals, how concerning is drug-induced liver injury (DILI)? DILI is another problem compounding the liver disease. Drugs for tuberculosis, anti-cancer drugs, complementary alternative medicines, some antibiotics, painkillers and many other drugs can cause liver damage. Therefore, close monitoring of liver functions is needed during such medications. Q. Is there a role for routine liver function screening even in asymptomatic individuals, especially among those with sedentary lifestyles or obesity? Definitely. All risk factors, if present in any individual, without symptoms should be evaluated for liver, cardiac and renal dysfunction. Occurrence of hypertension, increase in uric acid, compromised bone density and presence of polycystic ovaries in females should also be looked into. Even fat infiltration to muscles can be there causing increased fatigue and relative muscle loss. Fat in the liver easily detected by an abdominal ultrasound indicates a generalised metabolic dysfunction of the whole body. The human body and its organs evolutionarily have substantial reserves and therefore metabolic dysfunction associated organ damage can be asymptomatic. Therefore, individuals with risk factors like obesity, diabetes, hypertension and alcohol abuse should be screened for presence of abnormalities in various organs. If diagnosed early, all of these abnormalities are completely reversible. Q. Is there a connection between immunity, gut health, and liver function that people need to be more aware of, particularly during seasonal changes like the monsoon? The human body should be assessed holistically. Organ cross talk is a naturally evolved process. Gut microbiome is an important determinant of our immune competence and is a barrier against environmental infection. They can enhance liver damage in fatty liver disease and can get altered in presence of diabetes, alcohol consumption and various other bowel as well as systemic illnesses. Diet (vegetarian and non-vegetarian) can alter gut microbiome affecting human health in susceptible individuals. However, monsoon per se cannot be blamed solely for gut health. Rather, it is diet and types of diet, alcohol, presence of uncontrolled diabetes, frequent consumption of antibiotics, bowel habits etc which can influence gut microbiome. Q. What is your take on hepatitis A and B vaccination rates in India? Are we doing enough to prevent these preventable liver diseases? Hepatitis B virus immunisation by vaccination starting at birth is already a part of the universal immunisation programme of the Government of India and is being implemented in all states. However, I think Hepatitis A virus vaccination should be given to all children starting at the age of around two years, because hepatitis A-virus induced acute hepatitis is on the rise in all states and often is causing severe liver disease in children and young adults. Q. Do you believe India needs a national liver health programme or policy, similar to its initiatives on diabetes and heart disease and why? Yes. Fatty liver disease prevalence is around 30% to 40% in the Indian population. Alcohol consumption is on the rise. More and more DILI are being documented. Substance use is on the rise. Liver due to its huge reserve remains often asymptomatic despite having damage due to various etiologies. When clinically liver dysfunction becomes overt, often disease is in an advanced stage and may be difficult to get corrected needing liver transplant. Q. How can primary care physicians and public health workers be better trained or equipped to detect liver-related diseases early? Awareness, availability of liver function tests, ultrasound screening of liver and regular training of doctors and health professionals about various tests and screening methods are necessary to encourage identification and screening of high risk persons prone to develop liver disease. Q. As liver diseases do not discriminate between vegetarians or non-vegetarians and alcoholic or non-alcoholic, what would be your liver care tips for the common man? I think regular exercise, nil alcohol consumption, less consumption of foods with high glycaemic index, control of diabetes and dyslipidaemia, if present, avoidance of un-indicated medication, avoiding red meat consumption, saturated and trans-fat, aerated drinks and processed food will be helpful to all in not only preventing liver disease but also promoting good health in general. Further, since smoking aggravates all diseases and it should be completely avoided.
Yahoo
05-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
AstriVax Therapeutics Initiates Clinical Development of AVX70371, a Hepatitis B immunotherapy using Launch-iT technology
Third asset to advance into clinical trials, validating broad potential of Launch-iT platform All subjects treated with first dose of AVX70371 Launch-iT, as part of multiple dosing schedule Potential first-in-class treatment that could form part of functional cure for over 250 million patients suffering from chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection Leuven, Belgium, June 5, 2025 – AstriVax Therapeutics NV, a clinical stage immunotherapy company developing novel treatments for chronic infections based on its proprietary Launch-iT technology, announced today the start of clinical development with AVX70371 for chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. The phase I RUBY study (NCT06989788) will evaluate the safety, tolerability and immunogenicity of repeated injections of AVX70371 in 16 healthy adult volunteers at the Centre for Vaccinology of the Ghent University, Belgium. Up to three doses of AVX70371 are being evaluated in preparation for an assessment in a chronic HBV patient population, who are known to experience HBV-specific immune exhaustion. All subjects have now been treated with the first dose of AVX70371. The trial is expected to be completed in the second half of 2026, with an interim analysis before the end of 2025. 'AVX70371 has been designed to elicit a specific T-cell immune response against infected hepatocytes in which HBV is actively replicating. Knowing that patients with chronic hepatitis B suffer from immune exhaustion, this targeted immunotherapy approach is expected to intervene at the source of the chronic viral infection,' said Mathieu Peeters, M.D., Chief Development Officer at AstriVax Therapeutics. 'Starting clinical development with AVX70371 is the first step in the development of a new approach that could form the basis of a functional cure for chronic HBV infection.' 'Following positive results from our first clinical study in 2024, which evaluated the safety and immunogenicity of our Launch-iT technology platform, starting the clinical development with our first therapeutic Launch-iT program is a significant milestone for AstriVax Therapeutics. Despite available preventive vaccines, chronic hepatitis B still affects over 250 million people worldwide, so there is an ongoing need for improved options for patients beyond life-long antiviral treatment,' Hanne Callewaert, Ph.D., co-founder and CEO of AstriVax Therapeutics, added. 'AstriVax Therapeutics is also in the process of selecting a second immunotherapy Launch-iT clinical candidate for treating human papilloma virus (HPV) infection. Our plan is to rapidly advance this program towards clinical development in patients, further supporting our track record of moving assets quickly into the clinical validation phase.' About Launch-iTLaunch-iT (launched Immnunotherapy) is a plasmid-based technology that can rapidly generate viral vectors encoding novel antigens of interest as immunotherapy drug candidates. The tolerability and effectiveness of the platform has been validated in the SAFYR clinical study, which demonstrated that a single injection with AVX70120 (Yellow fever) or AVX70481 (Rabies) is very well tolerated and can induce high and long-lasting antibody titers and T-cell counts including CD4 and CD8 T-cells. About AstriVax TherapeuticsAstriVax Therapeutics is a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company developing novel immunotherapies that could offer broad and long-lasting treatment of chronic infectious diseases. Leveraging its proprietary Launch-iT plug and play plasmid-based technology, AstriVax Therapeutics is building a portfolio of product candidates targeting chronic viral infections, initially focused on hepatitis B virus (HBV) and human papilloma virus (HPV) infections. The company's Launch-iT product candidates are potential game-changers in the fight against viral pathogens. They are easy to produce, have limited cold chain requirements, and are expected to trigger a strong and lasting immune response. AstriVax Therapeutics is supported by well-known investors V-Bio Ventures, Fund+, Flanders Future TechFund managed by PMV, Thuja Capital, Ackermans & van Haaren, OMX Europe Venture Fund (Mérieux Equity Partners and Korys), BNP Paribas Fortis Private Equity, and the KU Leuven Gemma Frisius Fund. Founded in 2022, AstriVax Therapeutics is located in Leuven, Belgium. For more information, please visit Media contacts:Hanne Callewaert, PhD, CEO of Astrivax Therapeuticscorporate@ Alexandra SchiettekatteTel: +32 476 65 04 38alexandra@ in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Egypt Today
02-06-2025
- Health
- Egypt Today
Egypt first in Africa to control hepatitis B, Ministry of Health
CAIRO – 2 June 2025: Deputy Minister of Health and Population Dr. Amr Qandil said on Monday that Egypt is the first country in Africa to achieve the regional goal of controlling hepatitis B. During the celebration of Egypt's achievement of controlling (HBV), the Deputy Minister of Health confirmed that Egypt aims to localize vaccine manufacturing in the coming period. He explained that the vaccination rate in Egypt under the National Childhood Immunization Program has reached 95%. He pointed out that SMS messages are sent to parents reminding them of vaccinations 48 hours in advance. He noted that Egypt uses 65 million vaccine doses annually, and that each child costs the state between LE 1,000 and LE 1,500 in vaccinations. He stated that not a single medical team has contracted hepatitis B in hospitals due to infection control measures.
Egypt Today
02-06-2025
- Health
- Egypt Today
Egypt first in Africa to control hepatitis B, Minister of Health
CAIRO – 2 June 2025: Minister of Health Dr. Amr Qandil said on Monday that Egypt is the first country in Africa to achieve the regional goal of controlling hepatitis B. During the celebration of Egypt's achievement of controlling (HBV), the Deputy Minister of Health and Population confirmed that Egypt aims to localize vaccine manufacturing in the coming period. He explained that the vaccination rate in Egypt under the National Childhood Immunization Program has reached 95%. He pointed out that SMS messages are sent to parents reminding them of vaccinations 48 hours in advance. He noted that Egypt uses 65 million vaccine doses annually, and that each child costs the state between LE 1,000 and LE 1,500 in vaccinations. He stated that not a single medical team has contracted hepatitis B in hospitals due to infection control measures.
