TWiV 1279: Let hepatitis b

Bacteriophage therapy offers a promising, albeit complex, alternative to traditional antibiotics for treating antimicrobial-resistant infections. While current regulatory frameworks across the U.S., Canada, and the European Union primarily facilitate emergency, single-patient use, these pathways hinder the collection of large-scale clinical data necessary for broader implementation. Successful deployment requires overcoming significant hurdles, including the need for standardized manufacturing, rigorous clinical trials, and sustainable economic models. Beyond human medicine, phage applications in veterinary settings, such as protecting salmon in aquaculture, demonstrate practical efficacy where regulatory barriers are lower. Meanwhile, the historical discovery of the hepatitis B virus—initially identified as the "Australia antigen"—underscores the critical role of serendipity in science and the life-saving impact of universal vaccination, which has drastically reduced pediatric hepatitis B cases and associated liver cancer risks.