TherVacB

TherVacB – A THERAPEUTIC VACCINE TO CURE HEPATITIS B The role of viral hepatitis as a public health threat has long been underestimated. Only very recently, the United Nations in their “2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development” called for international action to combat viral hepatitis and reduce the disease burden. The major killer is the hepatitis B virus (HBV) causing liver cirrhosis and liver cancer. Worldwide 880,000 humans die each year from the consequences of an HBV infection. A prophylactic vaccine is available to prevent HBV infection, but more than 3% of the world’s population (about 260 million humans) are chronically infected and do not profit from that vaccine anymore. For those suffering from chronic hepatitis B, until today no curative treatment option exists. The European Commission therefore selected the project TherVacB led by Helmholtz Zentrum München for a seven-year funding within the Horizon 2020 program. A consortium of leading virologists, immunologists and physicians specialized in treating viral hepatitis, will use a newly designed therapeutic vaccine, TherVacB, as an immunotherapy to cure HBV. TherVacB will be evaluated in a clinical trial starting in January 2025 conducted in Europe and in Africa. Integration of a partner site in Tanzania shall help building local capacities for diagnosing and treating hepatitis B and support an important goal of the consortium – to raise awareness for hepatitis B.