Chronic hepatitis B infection remains one of the world’s most persistent public health challenges. More than 250 million people live with chronic HBV, and over 800,000 die each year from HBV-related liver disease. While vaccination prevents new infections, there is still no cure for those already infected. Current therapies rely on lifelong daily medication, which is difficult to maintain and creates long-term health and financial burdens.
Our project contributes to Goal 3 by addressing several of its specific targets related to infectious disease control, access to healthcare, and innovation in medicine.
Target 3.3 commits the international community to eliminate epidemics of major infectious diseases, including viral hepatitis, by 2030.
Current therapies suppress viral replication and reduce the risk of liver damage, but they cannot directly target the covalently closed circular DNA (cccDNA), that allows the virus to persist inside liver cells. As a result, patients require lifelong therapy, facing years or decades of daily medication — and the current options come with significant limitations.
As noted by an expert from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention during our discussion:
“Over time, the medications have improved significantly — they’re more effective now, with fewer side effects, and patient adherence has generally improved. But one major issue remains: many patients still struggle to stick with the treatment long-term.”
— Expert, CDC Lining, June 2025
This quote highlights that the greatest limitation of current therapies is the requirement for strict, lifelong adherence. Hepzero seeks to address this challenge by reducing dependence on continuous medication and aiming for durable repression of HBV gene expression. Our approach directly targets the key barrier that sustains HBV as a global epidemic.
Target 3.8 focuses on achieving universal health coverage, including access to affordable medicines and protection from financial risk.
Moreover, lifelong daily therapy poses a significant burden. While the price of antiviral medications has decreased substantially — with generic tenofovir dropping from $208 in 2004 to just $32 in 2016 — the overall cost of care remains a challenge in many low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). In 2017, nearly all LMICs were legally permitted to procure generic versions of entecavir and tenofovir, yet global treatment coverage remained strikingly low.
According to WHO estimates, only about 17% of diagnosed individuals were receiving treatment in 2016.
Access to these drugs is limited not only by cost, but also by gaps in diagnostic infrastructure, shortages of trained healthcare workers, and insufficient public awareness.
This context underscores why a therapy that reduces dependence on lifelong medication would better align with universal health coverage. By lowering the cumulative cost and complexity of treatment, Hepzero can contribute to more equitable healthcare access worldwide.
Target 3.b calls for supporting the development of innovative medicines for diseases that disproportionately affect low- and middle-income countries.
Chronic HBV is most prevalent in East Asia, sub-Saharan Africa, and parts of Central Asia — regions where healthcare systems often lack the resources to guarantee long-term treatment. This context makes Target 3.b especially relevant: precisely in the areas where the disease burden is highest, access to existing therapies remains weakest.
Our project responds directly to this challenge. By envisioning Hepzero as a one-time treatment, we propose an alternative to daily lifelong medication. Such an approach could dramatically reduce the financial burden on both patients and healthcare systems, making therapy more sustainable and accessible.
To ensure that this vision is not only scientifically plausible but also practically achievable, we developed a business plan that outlines concrete models for affordability and distribution. In this way, our work addresses Target 3.b not only at the level of research and development, but also through early planning for accessibility, scalability, and sustainability in real-world healthcare systems. Learn more in Entrepreneurship.
Goal 4 seeks to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all. It emphasizes that education is not only about academic knowledge, but also about building the skills and awareness necessary for sustainable development and public health.
Education is critical to breaking the cycle of chronic HBV. The disease is often described as a “silent killer” because 9 out of 10 infected individuals are unaware of their status. This lack of knowledge sustains stigma, delays diagnosis, and reduces treatment coverage.
Target 4.7 seeks to ensure that learners acquire knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable development, including health literacy.
We addressed this target through a series of educational initiatives aimed at different age groups. For schoolchildren, we developed presentations tailored to their level, ensuring that information about viruses and hepatitis B could be understood and retained effectively. For university students, we organized seminars that combined health education with insights into modern biology. For older adults, including the elderly, we created outreach sessions that highlighted prevention, testing, and treatment options.
To strengthen these efforts, we sought expert guidance. In our interview with Wang Chunmei, Head of the Immunization Planning Division and Associate Chief Physician at the Public Health Emergency Response Center, she highlighted how health education is changing:
“In the past, this was done through posters, bulletin boards, slogans, and banners. But now, with the development of digital tools, we’re using online platforms, social media, and official public accounts to significantly strengthen outreach and education efforts.”
— Wang Chunmei, Public Health Emergency Response Center, June 2025
Following this advice, we actively spread information through platforms such as Xiaohongshu and Instagram, extending our reach beyond classrooms and into the broader community.
Goal 9 emphasizes the importance of resilient infrastructure, sustainable industrialization, and innovation as drivers of development. For health challenges like hepatitis B, innovation in biotechnology is essential to overcome barriers that traditional therapies cannot address.
Target 9.5 calls for strengthening scientific research, upgrading technological capabilities, and encouraging innovation, especially in developing countries.
“If gene therapy can truly suppress the virus — completely clear it from the body, including from the liver — then of course, it would be a major breakthrough.”
— Expert, CDC Lining, June 2025
Hepzero embodies this target by implementing a dualCRISPR system (often referred to as a “zip system”), which couples two catalytically inactive Cas proteins through engineered RNA interactions. This design provides significantly higher precision than already established singleCas approaches, reducing the risk of offtarget activity.
Demonstrating this approach in one of the most persistent viral infections not only advances medical progress, but also builds a foundation for applying the same strategy to other diseases, thereby strengthening biotechnology as a practical and impactful field.
Goal 17 emphasizes that global health challenges cannot be solved in isolation. Partnerships across countries, sectors, and communities are essential for sustainable progress. This principle is at the heart of iGEM itself — a competition built on collaboration, openness, and the exchange of ideas. As a team, we fully share these values and see our work as part of a collective effort to advance science and society together.
Target 17.16 calls for enhancing the global partnership for sustainable development, complemented by multi-stakeholder collaborations that mobilize and share knowledge, expertise, technology, and financial resources.
Throughout the year, Hepzero was shaped by engagement with a wide range of stakeholders — hepatologists, virologists, patients, NGOs, and fellow iGEM teams. These interactions ensured that our project responded not only to scientific challenges but also to social and medical realities. We built collaborations with universities, local hospitals, government agencies such as the CDC and public health centers, and other experts, contributing to shared knowledge.
By bringing together diverse expertise and resources, and by embodying the collaborative spirit of iGEM, we contribute directly to making partnership the foundation of sustainable development