Hepatitis B Virus: Where Are We and Where Are We Going

There are few examples in modern medicine that are comparable with the enormous progress in understanding the cause and pathogenesis of viral hepatitis B that has been made in the last three decades leading to efficient therapies and the development of protective vaccines. Nearly one-tenth of the worl’s population is suffering from viral hepatitis, and it has been estimated that approx 350 million individuals are chronically infected with the hepatitis B virus (HBV). Most important, up to 25% of patients with chronic hepatitis B will eventually die from end-stage liver disease or hepatocellular carcinoma. Thus, HBV is a major health burden especially in high endemic areas where up 15% of the population is infected with HBV.