“With Benevolence, Promoting the Accessibility of Liver Disease Treatment” Conference Report

To rapidly implement the spirit of the WHO Guidelines for the Prevention, Care and Treatment of Persons with Chronic Hepatitis B Infection (Chinese version) and to promote the realization of the objective of “providing efficient, safe, convenient, accessible and high-quality medical services for patients with hepatitis B”, the Chinese Hepatology hosted a conference entitled “With Benevolence, Promoting the Accessibility of Liver Disease Treatment” in Shanghai on June 7 after the China Foundation for Hepatitis Prevention and Control (CFHPC) held the Press Conference for the WHO Guidelines in Beijing on the forenoon of May 15.

Professor Zhuang Hui, academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE), Professor Jia Jidong, Chairman of the International Association for the Study of the Liver (IASL), Professor Ren Hong, Vice Chairman of the Chinese Society of Hepatology, CMA, and Professor Xie Qing, Chairman of the Shanghai Society of Infectious Diseases, were invited to the conference and made wonderful speeches. Professor Weng Xinghua, former Chairman of the Society of Infectious Diseases, CMA, Professor Wu Shanming, senior expert of Shanghai Public Health Center, and Professor Chen Chengwei, Editor-in-Chief of the Chinese Hepatology, were present at and chaired the conference.

First, Professor Jia Jidong gave a report entitled “Necessity for Promoting the Accessibility of Liver Disease Treatment” at the conference. As a compiler of the WHO Guidelines and a translator of the Chinese version thereof, Professor Jia emphasized the that he wishes the government would coordinate all aspects of benefits, mobilize and integrate various resources, enhance the whole society’s consciousness of HBV prevention and control, reduce and eliminate HBV discrimination, protect the equal education and employment rights of HBV-infected persons and patients with hepatitis B, further reinforce HBV prevention & control and expanded treatment thereof, and make arduous efforts to finally eliminate the hazards brought by HBV and relevant diseases.

Then Academician Zhuang Hui gave a report on specific promotion measures for How to Realize the Accessibility of Liver Disease Treatment. In his view, as long as we take quick actions in accordance with the requirements of the WHO Guidelines, CHB can be “prevented, treated and cured”.

Afterwards, Professor Ren Hong gave a report entitled “Global R&D Progress of Liver Disease Drugs and 72 Weeks of Clinical Data on Domestic Entecavir Capsules”. Centering on “Targets for New HBV Treatment Schemes in HBV Life Circle”, Professor Ren expounded the R&D progress of different target drugs, revealed the broad prospect for surmounting HBV in the future, and affirmed the long-term anti-HBV efficacy and safety of domestic Entecavir Capsules.

In the end, Professor Xie Qing shared the information on the Progress of Asia-Pacific and European Liver Meetings of 2015. She disclosed a plurality of latest research results of tenofovir, especially made a detailed introduction to the clinical benefits of DAAS drugs like sofosbuvir which are of milestone significance for anti-HCV preva lence. “Good drugs should be accessible to Chinese patients as quickly as possible!” appealed Professor Xie. Considering the limitations of China’s existing drug access system, her appeal received a unanimous response from the representatives present at the conference.

Professor Zeng Minde and Professor Qiu Dekai, senior experts in hepatology circles, attended the conference.

Over 90 directors, leading physicians, et al. from the infectious disease and liver disease departments of Shanghai Public Health Center, Ruijin, Huashan, Changhai, Renji and other hospitals, attended the conference. Through this conference, everyone had a more comprehensive and deeper understanding of the accessible treatment of HBV and HCV from the current status of drug progress to the pharmacoeconomics, thereby, laying a theory and practice foundation for the promotion of “accessibility”.

This conference was solely sponsored by Fujian Cosunter Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.