Understanding Clinical Trials for Hepatitis B

Chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) is a significant global health concern, with an estimated 292 million individuals affected worldwide. In the United States, up to 2.2 million people are living with HBV. At this time there is no cure for HBV, but there are antiviral therapies that can significantly help to control the virus. Currently, there is significant momentum around the development of new medications for HBV around the world.

The process for approving new medications in the U.S. involves clinical trials. A clinical trial (also called clinical research) is a research study in human volunteers to answer specific health questions. Carefully conducted clinical trials are the fastest and safest way to find treatments that work in people and ways to improve health. Clinical trials are conducted in a series of steps, called phases - each phase is designed to answer a separate research question. Volunteering for a clinical trial program can be very valuable. Participating in a clinical trial can be a great opportunity to benefit from the latest advances, often with medication and expensive tests included if accepted into the study. The National Library of Medicine manages a large website (www.clinicaltrials.gov) that can help you find clinical trials around the world. Please join us for this webinar to learn about the patient and provider experiences related to clinical trials for hepatitis B and hepatitis Delta as well as resources for helping patients around the world identify clinical trials.