TUM: Germany Launches First Vaccine Trial for Chronic Hepatitis B

The first clinical trials of TherVacB, a vaccine designed to treat chronic hepatitis B, have begun in Germany. In June 2025, the first patient received an injection of the drug, according to the Technical University of Munich (TUM).
It is noted that earlier tests on healthy volunteers demonstrated good tolerability and triggered the desired immune response.

Chronic hepatitis B affects approximately 254 million people worldwide, significantly increasing the risk of cirrhosis and liver cancer. Existing treatments suppress the virus but require lifelong use, and there is still no universal cure. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), this infection claims 1.1 million lives annually.

TherVacB employs a “prime-boost” strategy — a combined vaccination approach involving two or more immunizations. In the initial phase, viral proteins are introduced into the body to prepare the immune system. This is followed by an injection of a modified viral vector to enhance the cellular immune response.

According to scientists, this approach activates both antibody production and T-cell responses, and the vaccine targets over 95% of known virus strains. If successful, TherVacB could become the first therapeutic method to trigger the body’s natural mechanism for eliminating the virus — and potentially transform the global approach to hepatitis B treatment.

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