Hepatitis B (HBV)

Chronic hepatitis B is a disease of the liver caused by the hepatitis B virus. Infection with HBV is characterized by jaundice, abdominal pain and other symptoms, with many patients developing liver cirrhosis and cancer. Although safe and preventative vaccines exist, there are estimated to be 1,000,000 to 1,250,000 cases of chronic hepatitis B in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In addition, there are between 140,000 and 320,000 new cases of hepatitis B in the U.S. each year, resulting in 4,000 to 5,000 deaths according to the American Social Health Association. These infections result in health care and other costs in the U.S. that are estimated to be $700 million per year. Worldwide, about 1,000,000 deaths are attributable to HBV infection and its complications annually, according to the World Health Organization. Due to the large infected population and small percentage of the public being vaccinated for the disease, the need for new and effective therapies for chronic hepatitis B virus infection remains great.

Nventa has conducted in vivo and in vitro testing of Hsp-HBV antigen fusions. The Company plans to identify a candidate to be moved into preclinical development and scale-up.