Government, medical and community experts to discuss about prevention and detection of viral hepatitis

Chronic viral hepatitis is a leading cause of liver cancer and cirrhosis that costs the nation's health system hundreds of millions of dollars each year, yet attracts little public attention. As many as 2 million people in the United States are living with chronic hepatitis B and an estimated 3.2 million are chronically infected with hepatitis C. However, most do not even know they are infected and miss out on getting early medical care, putting them at increased risk for developing serious liver disease.

To address this public health challenge, government, medical and community experts will meet September 10-11 in Washington, D.C. to plan an improved national response to viral hepatitis. The conference "The Dawn of a New Era: Transforming our Domestic Response to Hepatitis B & C" will feature keynote addresses, panel discussions and scientific poster sessions focused on enhancing the prevention and detection of viral hepatitis and improving care for people who are already living with the disease. Journalists are encouraged to participate in all aspects of the summit, and will enjoy unprecedented access to leading experts on viral hepatitis. A press room will be available.

WHO: Speakers include: -- John W. Ward, MD, Director, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Division of Viral Hepatitis -- Congressman Mike Honda (D-CA), Chair, Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus -- Congressman Bill Cassidy, MD (R-LA), Gastroenterologist and Associate Professor of Medicine, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center -- Anna S.F. Lok, MD, Director of Clinical Hepatology, University of Michigan -- Eugene R. Schiff, MD, Director, Center for Liver Diseases, University of Miami School of Medicine -- Ronald O. Valdiserri, MD, MPH, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs -- Jeff Caballero, Executive Director, Association of Asian Pacific Community Health Organizations Sponsors and supporters of the summit meeting include the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, the American Gastroenterological Association's AGA Institute, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gilead Sciences, Bristol-Myers Squibb and Vertex Pharmaceuticals.

WHEN: September 10-11, 2009 (Opening Keynote Address begins at 8 A.M. on Thursday, September 10)

WHERE: Washington Marriott Wardman Park Hotel 2660 Woodley Road NW (between 27th St. and Connecticut Ave) Washington, DC 20008 RSVP: Registration is free for media. To register for the conference, to schedule interviews or for more information please contact: Lauren Graham (212) 584-5015 [email protected]

KEY FACTS ABOUT HEPATITIS B AND C:

• The hepatitis B virus is up to 100 times more infectious than HIV and causes up to 80 percent of liver cancer cases worldwide, making it second only to tobacco as a cancer-causing agent in humans.
• Chronic infection with the hepatitis C virus is the most common reason for liver transplantation among adults in the United States.
• More than $1 billion is spent each year on hospitalizations related to hepatitis B, and hepatitis C is responsible for more than $600 million annually in medical costs and lost productivity.
• Public awareness about viral hepatitis is low; too few physicians conduct routine screening and many patients are not benefiting from improved treatment options.