Researcher acknowledged for developing new HBV treatment

Researcher Greg Ebert, MD, of the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research in Melbourne, Australia, recently received the Bupa Health Foundation Emerging Health Researcher Award 2014 for his work in developing a novel therapy for hepatitis B virus infection, according to a press release.

Hilton and colleagues currently are developing and testing a new therapy that has the potential to eradicate liver cells infected with HBV.

“In most patients, HBV infection is efficiently controlled by the immune system,” Ebert said. “However, approximately 5% of patients can’t control the virus and develop a chronic infection, so we have been searching for a way to help these people.”

According to Ebert, preclinical studies have shown that new therapy leaves uninfected cells intact.

“This gives us great hope that the treatment will deliver benefits to patients in the near future,” he said.

The $25,000 award from Bupa Health Foundation — a charitable foundation focused on public health in Australia — recognizes contributions from emerging researchers to health outcomes of Australians.

“Greg is an outstanding young scientist who has made a significant contribution to the fight against hepatitis B and, like many of our early- and mid-career researchers, he represents the future of medical research at the institute,” Doug Hilton, PhD, director of the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute, said in the release.