Chronic Hepatitis B (CHB) affects around 94,000 people in Aotearoa, especially Māori, Pacific, and Asian communities. While current treatments can reduce liver damage, they seldom result in a complete cure. Only a few people achieve what’s known as a ‘Functional Cure’ – where the virus is controlled without requiring ongoing therapy. This greatly lowers the risk of liver cancer and cirrhosis and improves long-term health.  

To help us better understand who might benefit from new treatments, HFNZ is supporting a research study being conducted by ICON plc, a clinical research organisation, with patients registered with HFNZ. This study is funded by GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), a pharmaceutical company developing new therapies for CHB. The results of this study will support GSK’s application to approve a new treatment in New Zealand called bepirovirsen, which is designed to help more people achieve a Functional Cure. These findings will be submitted to government agencies that assess whether medicines are safe and whether they can be publicly funded (e.g., Te Pātaka Whaioranga [PHARMAC]). The goal is to help make future CHB treatments more broadly available to people in Aotearoa.  

The study has been approved by the Health and Disabilities Ethics Committee of New Zealand.  The study will start on 24 November 2025 and finish on 31 July 2026. 

Study at a glance: 

• Your participation will help us to identify patients who may be suitable for a cure for hepatitis B. 

• If you wish to participate, you don’t need to do anything. 

• You can opt-out at any time before the end of the study on 31 July 2026 or before your next blood test. Contact us as above to opt-out.  

• No extra appointments or needles are required. 

• The qHBsAg test will only be done once – at the same time as your next routine 6-monthly blood test, using the same blood sample. 

• Your data will remain de-identified. 

• You will receive your personal test result along with an explanation of what this result means. 

• Your blood sample will be destroyed after batch testing per standard laboratory protocols.