Unmet Need

The World Health Organisation defines hepatitis B as “a potentially life-threatening liver infection caused by the hepatitis B virus (HBV). It is a major global health problem. It can cause chronic infection and puts people at high risk of death from cirrhosis and liver cancer.”

  • Two billion people have been infected with the hepatitis B virus (one of three people) and approximately 10% of infected individuals are diagnosed (1).

  • ~250 million people living with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) virus infection (2022), with 1.2 million new infections each year (2).

  • About 1.1 million deaths from cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), primary liver cancer (2).

Source: WHO Global hepatitis report 2024

1. https://www.hepb.org/what-is-hepatitis-b/what-is-hepb/facts-and-figures

2. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/hepatitis-b