James Morrison

Tasmania to pilot national hepatitis C awareness campaign

The Australian Government is funding a new hepatitis C awareness campaign to be piloted in Tasmania, as part of national efforts to identify and treat people who may be living with the …

UK Shows the Power of Opt-Out Testing

Thousands of Britons have been found to have been living with previously undiagnosed hepatitis and HIV under a new testing system recently introduced in accident and emergency departments by the …

Understanding Clinical Trials in MASLD

Reviewed byJo Morgan, Nurse Consultant, Hepatology Clinical Research, RAHDr. Damien Harding, Consultant Gastroenterologist & Hepatologist, LMHLibby Cagney, Clinical Trials Manager Hepatology, FMC MASLD (Metabolic Associated Steatotic Liver Disease) – also …

Pig-to-Human Liver Transplant Shows Mixed Success

Part of a liver from a genetically engineered pig has been transplanted into a living human recipient, who then survived a further six months before dying from repeated upper gastrointestinal …

My Health Record: BBV results now recorded by default

Recent changes to the processing of pathology reports for My Health Record has elevated the importance of pre-test counselling around implications of test results, where to go for further information, …

Cutting Out Hep B with ‘Molecular Scissors’

A genetic peculiarity that is sometimes found in biochemistry is ‘covalently closed circular DNA‘ (cccDNA), where the DNA molecule, instead of being a long, ribbon-like strand, becomes a closed loop. …

Hep C & Mental Illness: New Link Discovered

The blood–brain barrier is a hugely effective “wall” that protects the brain from pathogens in a person’s body. It’s like a highly selective, very fine sieve that allows vital nutrients …

How Hep B Research Helped when COVID-19 Hit

As the coronavirus spread globally in 2020, and people all around the world began to be uncomfortably familiar with RAT tests and PCR tests, NSW historian Michelle Bootcov realised her …

Improving Surveillance of Hepatocellular Carcinoma in Australia

The incidence of primary liver cancer in Australia has quadrupled since 1982—faster than any other cancer. Yet, the 5-year survival remains just 22%, in stark contrast to countries like Japan, …

98.9%: The Hepatitis C Cure Rate with Current Direct-Acting Antivirals

When we at Hepatitis SA talk with members of the community about hepatitis C treatment, we usually point out that the current available cure works for more than 95% of …

‘Malhotra Syndrome’: What is it?

A study recently published by a gastroenterology research team in India, has identified a new ”phobia’ in people who have been cured of hepatitis C – the fear of reinfection. …

Experimental Hep B Treatments: Good & Bad News

Two different experimental hepatitis B virus (HBV) treatments have shown very different results in their phase 2 trials in recent weeks. One, while initially promising, has failed to show high …

Pat Dodson Urges PM to Act on Reconciliation

Former Labor senator Pat Dodson, sometimes called ‘the Father of Reconciliation’, has emerged from a self-imposed silence to urge the prime minister to take up the cause once more with …

Beating Cancer Through Hepatitis Elimination

Despite having all the tools to combat liver cancer, a lack of prioritisation and action has resulted in an increase in mortality worldwide. These deaths are entirely preventable if people …

In Our Library: Highlights, April 2025

New titles added in April include: Hepatitis B and hepatitis C mapping reports, Close the Gap campaign annual report, Human Rights and drug policy report...

Can a Parent’s HBV Affect Their Newborn’s Heart?

Studies have shown a higher rate of congenital heart disease in infants born to parents with hepatitis B.

Measles & Your Liver: Get Vaccinated!

With the rise of measles in the US, it's useful to know that measles can cause liver dysfunction.

Call for Universal Hepatitis B Testing to Stop the Rise in Liver Cancer Deaths

Hepatitis SA is backing Hepatitis Australia’s call for universal hepatitis B (HBV) testing, after new data confirmed the silent role of chronic hepatitis B in Australia’s rising liver cancer deaths, …

Closing the Ever-Widening Gap

Despite the rejection of the Voice in the 2023 referendum, some working in the sector still see hope.

Federal Budget Responses

The 2025-26 Federal Budget–showing the Labor government’s plans if re-elected in May–has an emphasis on public health investment, focused on strengthening primary care and improving access to PBS-listed medicines. The …

Need to Act on Hepatitis D Now

The Australian Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) has recently rejected an application for a new drug, bulevirtide, to be available at subsidised rates for treatment of hepatitis D, despite submissions from …

Turning the Tide of Hepatitis C Treatment in Machar Colony

In southern Pakistan’s Sindh province, on the edge of Karachi’s bustling fish harbour, sits an informal settlement where life is harsh.

Mouse Model Helping Develop Hep C Vaccine

Unlike a number of other viruses, hepatitis C (HCV) is only naturally found–and able to replicate–in humans and, to a lesser extent, chimpanzees. This has proven to be a major …

Meat Alternatives Great for Your Health and the Planet

Meatless alternatives to meat are an increasingly viable option for people looking to improve their own health, the planet’s health, or reduce the amount of suffering in the world. People …