ERN RARE-LIVER Webinar Series 29 September 2026: Mastering Bulevirtide: Ready, Set, Inject

This ERN RARE-LIVER Webinar on 29 September 2026 at 5pm (CEST) will be a webinar from the ERN RARE-LIVER Specialist Nurses Group and ERN RARE-LIVER HDV group.

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Please use this link:  https://uke-de.zoom-x.de/j/62903918563?pwd=KjvpaDAGTwa2SFigJqa52noySzaQO0.1 

Moderator: 

  • Martina Reiberger (Vienna General Hospital, Austria)

Speakers:

  • Sabela Lens (Hospital Clínic i Provincial de Barcelona, Spain)          
  • Corinne Rotrou (Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Montpellier, France)
  • Sonja Beckmann (University Hospital Zurich, Switzerland)
  • Naz Kanani Alviri (Royal Free London NHS, United Kingdom)

Chronic hepatitis Delta (HDV) remains the most severe form of viral hepatitis, accelerating progression to cirrhosis, portal hypertension, hepatic decompensation and liver-related mortality. Despite its clinical impact, HDV remains underdiagnosed worldwide, highlighting the need to improve awareness, screening strategies and timely linkage to specialist care. Early diagnosis and appropriate treatment are essential to modify the natural history of the disease and improve patient outcomes.

The recent approval of bulevirtide, the first targeted therapy for chronic HDV infection, has transformed the therapeutic landscape. Clinical trials and real-world studies have demonstrated its ability to achieve sustained HDV RNA suppression, biochemical improvement and, in some patients, regression of liver disease. However, important questions remain regarding optimal patient selection, treatment duration, long-term outcomes, management of virological relapse, and the application of treatment stopping rules in routine practice. 

As bulevirtide is administered by daily subcutaneous injection, successful treatment requires a multidisciplinary approach involving hepatologists, nurses, pharmacists and other healthcare professionals. Beyond understanding the evidence supporting therapy initiation, healthcare providers must be familiar with practical aspects of treatment administration, patient education, adherence support, monitoring of efficacy and safety, and management of patient expectations. This webinar aims to provide an up-to-date overview of HDV diagnosis and management, review the current evidence supporting bulevirtide therapy, discuss indications, treatment duration and stopping criteria, and share practical experiences from routine clinical practice. The session will promote discussion among healthcare professionals and facilitate the exchange of strategies for optimizing the care of patients living with chronic hepatitis Delta.

 Focused points/aspects to be discussed during the webinar:

  • Understanding HDV today: epidemiology, disease burden, importance of screening and diagnosis, and identification of patients eligible for antiviral therapy.
  • Bulevirtide in clinical practice: mechanism of action, indications, patient selection, treatment goals, evidence from clinical trials and real-world cohorts, treatment duration and stopping criteria.
  • Practical aspects of therapy: drug preparation, storage requirements, administration procedures and strategies for training patients in self-injection.
  • Monitoring and patient support: assessment of treatment response and safety, management of adverse events, adherence promotion and addressing common patient concerns.
  • Case-based discussion and multidisciplinary experience: practical lessons from routine clinical practice, implementation challenges and best practices shared by hepatology teams and specialist nurses.

Short bios

Sabela Lens is a Consultant Hepatologist at the Liver Unit of Hospital Clínic Barcelona, Group Leader at IDIBAPS, and Associate Professor at the University of Barcelona. Her research focuses on viral hepatitis, with particular interest in the epidemiology, diagnosis and treatment of hepatitis B, C and D, and in translational studies investigating virus–host interactions, immune responses and biomarkers of disease progression and treatment response. She has authored more than 100 peer-reviewed publications and has been actively involved in national and international initiatives in viral hepatitis. She is currently a member of the EASL Scientific Committee and Associate Editor of the Journal of Hepatology. 

 

Martina Reiberger is a Hepatology nurse specialist working in endoscopy at the Vienna General Hospital (AKH Wien) as a registered nurse since 2013. She has completed training in practical education, quality management, and risk management. Since 2022, Martina is the head of the nurses’ department at the outpatient clinic for the gastroenterology & hepatology (including endoscopy), rheumatology, nephrology, and endocrinology. Currently studying prevention management to expand her expertise. A board member of IVEPA (Association of Endoscopy Nurses Austria) since 2016, and working with LCNA (Liver Care Nursing Austria) to bring hepatology out of the shadows in the nursing setting. Since 2025, we have been part of AHOP (Austrian Association of Hematological and Oncological Nursing Professionals) in order to pool resources and expertise. Working in the ERN Nurse Taskforce also enriches the work in her own country. 

Corinne Rotrou A nurse since 1997 (following a Master’s degree in Economic and Social Sciences), I have specialized in Therapeutic Patient Education since 2012, managing patients treated for hepatitis C with interferon and protease inhibitors (prior to the arrival of direct-acting antivirals). Concurrently, I have coordinated the multidisciplinary team meetings (RCP) for hepatitis. The program of TPE subsequently expanded to include hepatitis B and Delta. I contributed to drafting the initial program in 2020 for rare liver diseases—specifically inflammatory bile duct disorders and autoimmune conditions—which was extended in 2026 to include vascular liver diseases. As a coordination nurse for the Specialist Unit for Combating Viral Hepatitis, I conduct outreach screening—using rapid diagnostic tests and FibroScan—at medico-social facilities (serving drug users, migrants, individuals in precarious situations, and those disconnected from the healthcare system).  The area of operation is Eastern Occitanie, where the initiative helps coordinate complex care pathways. In the case of Hepatitis Delta and its treatment regimens, patient education is paramount—specifically regarding treatment engagement, long-term adherence, and patient autonomy. Patient profiles also require individualized, “tailor-made” support (advanced liver disease, non-French-speaking populations, barriers to accessing health rights, etc.).

 Sonja Beckmann received her nursing diploma in 1997 and worked as intensive care nurse until 2011 in different German and Swiss hospitals. She completed her master’s education (2012) and PhD (2017) at the Institute of Nursing Science, University of Basel. Sonja works at the University Hospital Zurich in two roles: as a clinical nurse scientist at the Center of Clinical Nursing Science, and as Advanced Practice Nurse in Hepatology, where she is specialized in the care of patients with liver disease and their families.

Naz Kanani Alviri is currently Principal Pharmacist in Hepatology & Liver transplantation at the Royal Free Hospital in London, where she has worked since 2018. As part of her role, she is the lead pharmacist for the North Central London Viral Hepatitis Operational Delivery Network. She graduated from the UCL School of pharmacy and her post graduate training includes a diploma in Advanced Clinical Pharmacy Practice and qualification as an independent prescriber. She has worked as a committee member of the British Hepatology Pharmacy Group (affiliated group of the British Association for the Study of the Liver) and organised national educational events. Naz’s interests include viral hepatitis, autoimmune liver disease.