New Improved Hepatitis B Medicine to be Considered for PBS

As Australians with hepatitis C are being cured at unprecedented rates, there is promise of a better medicine for those living with chronic hepatitis B who need treatment.

The Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee (PBAC) will, in March, consider for recommendation, a new medicine which promises the same efficacy as current drugs but with less toxic side effects.

The current medicine, tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF), is effective in suppressing the hepatitis B virus but is also linked to bone density loss and renal dysfunction in some patients. This is due to the high level of tenofovir circulating in the body.

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Struggling with Sleep? Why things we love to do keep us awake at night!

Sleep is especially important when you have viral hepatitis. Your body is already dealing with the effects of hepatitis B or C and your liver is in need of extra care. Along with a nutritious diet and regular, moderate exercise, sleep is at the core of staying as well as possible.

Your liver performs different functions at different times. Sleeping at the time when your liver is working the hardest – thought to be between 9 pm and 3 am – can give it a break and potentially improve how well you feel during the day.

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