NIH TO HOLD PRESS CONFERENCE ON OCTOBER 22 FOLLOWING CONSENSUS DEVELOPMENT CONFERENCE ON MANAGEMENT OF HEPATITIS B

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> U.S. Department of Health and Human Services > NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH

NIH News > NIH Office of the Director (OD) <http://www.nih.gov/icd/od/>> Office

of Medical Applications of Research (OMAR) <http://odp.od.nih.gov/omar/> > For

Immediate Release: Tuesday, October 14, 2008> > CONTACT: Ahramjian,

301-496-4999, <e-mail:ahramjianl@...>> > NIH TO HOLD PRESS CONFERENCE ON

OCTOBER 22 FOLLOWING CONSENSUS DEVELOPMENT CONFERENCE ON MANAGEMENT OF HEPATITIS

B> Panel will weigh the benefits and harms of management strategies> > Hepatitis

B is a major cause of liver disease worldwide, ranking as a substantial cause of

cirrhosis and liver cancer. Approximately 1.25 million people are chronically

infected with the virus in the United States, resulting in 3,000 to 5,000 deaths

each year. The incomplete understanding of the natural history of the disease,

coupled with multiple conflicting guidelines, make the management of this

complex disease challenging. These issues will be addressed at the upcoming NIH

Consensus Development Conference: Management of Hepatitis B, October 20-22,

2008. > > WHAT: > Following two days of expert presentation, weighing of

evidence, and audience commentary, the panel will present their statement at 9

a.m. on Wednesday, October 22. The statement will provide the panel's assessment

of what we know and what we need to learn to effectively manage hepatitis B

across diverse patient groups. A press conference will follow at 2 p.m.> >

Reporters registering for the conference as media will receive the conference

panel's draft consensus statement and a press release highlighting their

findings on Oct. 22 as soon as they are available. Register online by visiting

<http://consensus.nih.gov>. > > The conference presentations, open discussions,

and the panel's statement will focus on these questions:> > 1. What is the

current burden of hepatitis B?> 2. What is the natural history of hepatitis B?>

3. What are the benefits and risks of the current therapeutic options for

hepatitis B?> 4. Which persons with hepatitis B should be treated?> 5. What

measures are appropriate to monitor therapy and assess outcomes?> 6. What are

the greatest needs and opportunities for future research on hepatitis B?> >

WHEN: > PRESS CONFERENCE | WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 22 -- 2 P.M.> > Monday, October

20, 2008 -- 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.> Tuesday, October 21, 2008 -- 8:30 a.m. -

12:30 p.m.> Wednesday, October 22, 2008 -- 9:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.> > All

sessions are free and open to the public. > > WHERE: > NIH MAIN CAMPUS OR

ONLINE: > > Attend the press conference in person at the Natcher Conference

Center, NIH Main Campus - Building 45, 9000 Rockville Pike, Bethesda, land

20892; or participate remotely via the webcast at > >

<HTTP://VIDEOCAST.NIH.GOV>. Reporters will have the opportunity to submit

questions via e-mail beginning at 1:30 p.m. on October 22.> > Campus visitor

information <http://www.nih.gov/about/visitor/index.htm>> > WHY: > Although an

effective hepatitis B vaccine is available, it does not protect those who

already have the infection. Chronic hepatitis B occurs more frequently in

high-risk groups, including Asian-Americans, emigrants from areas of the world

where hepatitis B is common (China, Korea, Southeast Asia, the Indian

subcontinent, Africa and Micronesia), men who have sex with men, injection drug

users, and recipients of blood and blood products before screening procedures

were implemented in 1986. In non-protected individuals, transmission can result

from exposure to infectious blood or body fluids containing blood. A major

impediment to diagnosis is that many infected individuals are either

asymptomatic or experience only non-specific symptoms of disease, such as

fatigue or muscle ache.> > For approximately 90 percent of adults, acute

infection with the hepatitis B virus is resolved by the body's immune system,

and does not cause long-term problems. The transition from acute to chronic

infection appears to occur when the immune system does not effectively destroy

and clear virus-infected cells. This leads to persistently detectable hepatitis

B DNA and antigens in the blood, as well as antibodies produced by the body in

an attempt to combat the infection. > > Questions remain as to which groups of

patients benefit from therapy and at which point in the course of their disease.

Specific recommendations for hepatitis B therapy are limited by a lack of

reliable long-term safety and efficacy information. This is a difficult decision

for physicians and patients, as treatments are expensive and may have

bothersome, if not harmful, effects on patients; left untreated, however,

chronic hepatitis B can lead to liver failure and other serious liver problems.>

> BACKGROUND: > The conference is presented through the NIH Consensus

Development Program. A fact sheet describing the conference process and

additional hepatitis B resources are available at

<http://consensus.nih.gov/forthemedia.htm>.> > A systematic literature review on

the management of hepatitis B has been prepared under contract with the Agency

for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). The executive summary will be

released on October 22 at <http://www.ahrq.gov/clinic/tp/hepbtp.htm>; the full

report will be available online shortly thereafter.> > FOR MORE INFORMATION:>

Conference agenda, speakers, logistics, and online registration are available at

<http://consensus.nih.gov>.> > The Office of the Director, the central office at

NIH, is responsible for setting policy for NIH, which includes 27 Institutes and

Centers. This involves planning, managing, and coordinating the programs and

activities of all NIH components. The Office of the Director also includes

program offices which are responsible for stimulating specific areas of research

throughout NIH. Additional information is available at

<http://www.nih.gov/icd/od/>. > > The National Institutes of Health (NIH) -- The

Nation's Medical Research Agency -- includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a

component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. It is the primary

federal agency for conducting and supporting basic, clinical and translational

medical research, and it investigates the causes, treatments, and cures for both

common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit

<www.nih.gov>.> > ##> > This NIH News Release is available online at:>

<http://www.nih.gov/news/health/oct2008/od-14.htm>.> > To subscribe (or

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