Core Viewpoint - Hepatitis B remains a significant global health challenge, with approximately 254 million chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infections worldwide and an annual death toll of 555,000 due to related diseases. The need for improved screening, diagnosis, treatment, and management is emphasized to meet the World Health Organization's goal of eliminating viral hepatitis as a public health threat by 2030 [1][4]. Group 1: Current Situation and Challenges - The prevalence of chronic hepatitis B in China exceeds 75 million, accounting for about 30% of global infections. The 2022 guidelines emphasize the need to reduce new infections by 90% and mortality by 65% by 2030, with a target diagnosis rate of 90% and treatment rate of 80% [4][5]. - Despite advancements in antiviral therapies since the introduction of lamivudine in 1997, treatment options remain limited, and achieving functional cure remains a challenge. Current therapies can control the disease but do not effectively eliminate the virus [3][9]. Group 2: Treatment Innovations - Several innovative drugs are under development, including receptor blockers, core protein inhibitors, long-acting interferons, and small nucleic acid drugs. Notably, small interfering RNA (siRNA) and antisense oligonucleotides (ASO) are gaining attention for their potential to be launched between 2026 and 2027 [3][9]. - The ideal treatment endpoint for hepatitis B is achieving functional cure, which involves sustained suppression of HBV replication and improvement in liver health. Achieving this requires the clearance of HBV DNA and surface antigens [5][6]. Group 3: Clinical Perspectives and Future Directions - The concept of functional cure is critical, as it significantly reduces the risk of disease progression, including liver cancer. Studies indicate that achieving surface antigen clearance can lower the incidence of liver cancer from 7.8% to 0.6% [5][6]. - The pharmaceutical industry is focusing on developing new drugs that target multiple stages of the HBV lifecycle, with a growing demand for such therapies in clinical settings. The collaboration between pharmaceutical companies and clinical experts is essential for advancing treatment options [10][11].