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In a move to combat the threat of hepatitis B virus in children, Israel�s pharmaceutical company, SciGen has developed Sci-B-Vac, the world�s only commercially available third-generation vaccine against the hepatitis B virus (HBV). Even though 167 countries now vaccinate at birth, HBV � up to 100 times more infectious than AIDS-causing HIV � is still a major global health problem causing 1.2 million deaths every year from liver disease and the introduction of Sci-B-Vac offers the most effective and cost-efficient solution to combating HBV anywhere. SciGen�s CEO Michal Ben-Attar explains that Sci-B-Vac was based on advanced biotechnology to eliminate the problems inherent in first-generation and second-generation HBV vaccines. Since its introduction, virtually every Israeli newborn has received Sci-B-Vac, a practice that has significantly reduced HBV incidences in Israel. A current study at Hadassah University Medical Center in Jerusalem indicates that Sci-B-Vac given to infants born already infected stops the disease from developing.The world�s only commercially available third-generation vaccine against HBV is also approved for use in Hong Kong, Philippines, India, Vietnam, Georgia and Central Africa. With regulatory approvals in the United States and other countries expected in the near future, SciGen CEO Michal Ben-Attar is seeking partners willing to help get this effective and cost-efficient vaccine to places where the rates of infection are especially high.