Professor Ulrike Protzer and her TherVacB team at Helmholtz Munich and TUM have been honoured with the prestigious Bavarian m4 Award 2023. Key members of the Helmholtz Munich and TUM team for TherVacB proudly received the m4 Award on 24 October 2023 at Munich Residence (surrounded by Bio^M representatives on the picture are from left to right Dr. Anna Kosinska, Dr. Marian Wiegand, Prof. Dr. Ulrike Protzer, Romina Bester, Dr. Frank Thiele, Prof. Dr. Percy Knolle).

The prize acknowledges their promising therapeutic hepatitis B vaccine that is able to reactivate antiviral immune responses. Preclinical models have already demonstrated its effectiveness in curing chronic infection, initial clinical trials will start soon. This includes a first-in-human study in healthy individuals without HBV infection or hepatitis B immunization. Together with the TherVacB project team, Ulrike Protzer’s  ground-breaking research initiative will take the developed TherVacB vaccine to the next level in a clinical trial involving hepatitis B patients.  

For those suffering from chronic hepatitis B, no curative treatment option exists until today. Prof. Ulrike Protzer supported by the entire TherVacB team is on a mission to establish such a therapeutic hepatitis B vaccine for an HBV cure in routine clinical use.

To this end, the m4 Award and prize money of 500,000 Euros will play a vital role. It facilitates the essential development steps required for the ultimate formulation of the TherVacB vaccine after initial clinical trial results. Importantly, it supports preparations for the establishment of a spin-off company to drive further clinical development to finally make the TherVacB therapy broadly available to hepatitis B patients.

The Bavarian Ministry of Economic Affairs and Bio^M grant the m4 Award biennially to innovative academic research projects with spin-off potential in the field of biomedicine. The Munich Biotechnology Cluster Bio^M drives Bavarian Biotech Cluster Development by supporting biotech companies from the German Federal State of Bavaria at every stage of setting up their business. 

Experts in virology, immunology and clinical hepatitis from two research projects are working towards to cure hepatitis B: ‘IP-cure-B – Take care of your health’ and ‘TherVacB – A therapeutic vaccine to cure Hepatitis B’.

To jointly tackle some of the major challenges in the therapy of viral hepatitis, researchers have met for a first round of strategic discussions in July 2023.

The two research projects share the common goal to achieve functional cure of hepatitis B. For this, they investigate different aspects of the viral hepatitis B infection (HBV) and the HBV-mediated chronic disease:

IP-cure-B aims to improve the cure rate in patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) with complementary immunomodulatory concepts. Immune interventions are investigated in two settings, in a pre-clinical model and a proof-of-concept clinical study. Innovations in immunotherapy will boost the strategic selection of the best combination for effective treatment in future clinical studies.

TherVacB provides a novel curative treatment option that aims to break immune tolerance in chronic HBV infection. This will allow the immune system to clear the virus. New vaccine components will be tested in patients with CHB in a multicentre clinical proof-of-concept study. Finally, TherVacB aims to provide a new and affordable, safe and well tolerable treatment option to cure CHB – and a first opportunity for patients in Tanzania to be treated for hepatitis B.

The innovations from the two projects will be instrumental to meeting the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goal 3:

• combat hepatitis B (and D) viral infection worldwide by the year 2030,
• ensure sustained health, increase the quality of life and stop stigmatization,
• including in highly endemic countries that cannot afford lifelong therapies and their monitoring.

Every year, more than a million lives are lost to hepatitis. The TherVacB team of clinical researchers, hepatologists and virologists is not waiting for change – we’re working hard to make it happen!

A better understanding of the hepatitis B infection and the HBV-mediated disease improves therapies – with your support as HBV patient!

As patient living with chronic hepatitis B in Italy, Spain, UK and Germany, you can join the European HBV Patient Registry anytime at one of TherVacB’s study centers. By joining, TherVacB clinicians will perform your routine visits. Additionally, the physicians will collect your patient data on virological and immunological parameters in a systematic way. Since its launch, the collection of patient data has been growing continuously. This collection helps clinicians to identify patients for the upcoming TherVacB vaccination trial and other studies on HBV treatment and cure. With your support, researchers can better understand the natural course of a hepatitis B infection, develop or refine therapies and help you and the HBV community worldwide.

Are you interested? Have a look at the map of participating clinical sites in Europe. Read on about the purpose of the European Patient Registry. And reach out to us, if you are interested in taking part!

Stay in touch with the Community – Join the Community Forum on 25 July to mark World Hepatitis Day 2023 !

On 25th July, 2 PM CEST / 1 PM BST, the World Hepatitis Alliance hosts the FREE and fully virtual WHD Community Forum. Join in for insights into the experiences, perspectives and unmet needs of people diagnosed with and living with hepatitis across the world. The panelists will explore global conversations around eliminating hepatitis by 2030 and why we are not waiting for hepatitis elimination. People living with hepatitis are welcome to share experiences and offer possible solutions to address challenges faced, as a result of the disease.

Do you want to join? Register anytime by clicking this link!