Hep AD38 Assay : A High-Throughput, Cell-Based Screen for the Evaluation of Compounds Against Hepatitis B Virus

Approximately 5% of the world's population has been infected with hepatitis B virus (HBV). Ten percent of these adults will become chronic carriers, as will 95% of the infants infected perinatally. Those that do become chronically infected with HBV are at increased risk of developing liver dysfunction, cirrhosis, and liver failure (1). In addition, they also have a greater incidence of heptocellular carcinoma (2). Approximately two million chronic carriers die annually from liver disease attributed to infection by HBV (3).