Hepatitis B is an inflammation of the liver caused by the hepatitis B virus. A hepatitis B infection develops into a chronic infection at an adult age in 5-10% of cases. In babies this infection leads to a chronic infection in 70-90% of cases. Chronic hepatitis B is a seriously underestimated and life-threatening disease. In Belgium around 0.70%* of people are chronically infected. Untreated chronic hepatitis B can result in cirrhosis of the liver (atrophy of the liver) with possible complications such as loss of liver function and in the most serious cases to liver cancer.
BMS is committed to increasing the recognition of this disease so that a better system may be developed for diagnosing, preventing and treating the disease. BMS has a promising antiviral product on the market for patients with chronic hepatitis B.

* M. Beutels et al. Prevalence of hepatitis A, B and C in the Flemish population. European Journal of Epidemiology 13: 275-280, 1997.