Ionis Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ:IONS) partner GSK Plc (NYSE:GSK) on Wednesday shared data from two pivotal Phase 3 studies, B-Well 1 and B-Well 2, of bepirovirsen, an investigational antisense oligonucleotide for chronic hepatitis B (CHB). The studies included over 1,800 patients.GSK licensed bepirovirsen from Ionis in 2019. The two companies have collaborated on its development.Under the terms of the agreement, Ionis received an upfront payment, license fee, and development milestone payments, and is el ...

Core Insights - Arbutus Biopharma Corporation has made significant progress in its clinical research for chronic hepatitis B virus (cHBV), with multiple abstracts accepted for presentation at the AASLD – The Liver Meeting 2025, indicating advancements towards a potential functional cure for cHBV [1] Group 1: Imdusiran Clinical Data - Imdusiran (AB-729) has shown to be safe and well-tolerated in chronic hepatitis B patients, with a study reporting positive results from Phase 1 and 2 clinical trials [2] - A study suggests that imdusiran may enhance the responsiveness of pegylated interferon alfa-2a treatment in patients with specific HBV genotypes, particularly genotypes B and C [3] - Increases in soluble immune biomarkers were observed in subjects who lost HBsAg after treatment with imdusiran, indicating a potential immune response [4] Group 2: AB-101 Clinical Data - AB-101, an oral PD-L1 inhibitor, was well tolerated in chronic hepatitis B patients, with preliminary data showing significant receptor occupancy at higher doses [5][6] - The ongoing clinical trial for AB-101 is expected to provide further insights into its safety and pharmacodynamics [6] Group 3: Conference Details - The accepted abstracts will be publicly available on the AASLD website and published in the October supplement of HEPATOLOGY, with poster presentations accessible during the conference [7][8] Group 4: Company Overview - Arbutus Biopharma is focused on developing innovative therapies for infectious diseases, particularly cHBV, and is involved in legal actions to protect its intellectual property related to its patented LNP technology [12]

Core Insights - Arbutus Biopharma has reported that imdusiran combination therapy has functionally cured eight patients with chronic hepatitis B (cHBV), including two patients who did not receive interferon [1][2] - The company has a strong financial position with cash, cash equivalents, and marketable securities totaling $113 million as of March 31, 2025 [1][9] - Andrew J. Sung has joined Arbutus as General Counsel, bringing over $28 billion in life sciences deal experience [1][8] Clinical Developments - Imdusiran (AB-729) has shown promising results, with eight patients achieving functional cure, particularly notable as two did not receive interferon [2][6] - The oral PD-L1 inhibitor AB-101 demonstrated 100% receptor occupancy in 11 of 13 evaluable healthy volunteers during Phase 1a/1b trials, indicating its safety and tolerability [3][10] - Data presented at the EASL Congress 2025 highlighted that patients with baseline HBsAg <1000 IU/mL had a significant chance of achieving functional cure when treated with imdusiran and low-dose nivolumab [6][22] Financial Performance - For Q1 2025, total revenue was $1.8 million, an increase from $1.5 million in Q1 2024, attributed to revenue recognition from a collaboration with Qilu [10][11] - Operating expenses for Q1 2025 were $27.5 million, with research and development expenses decreasing to $9.0 million from $15.4 million in the same period last year [12][15] - The net loss for Q1 2025 was $24.5 million, compared to a net loss of $17.9 million in Q1 2024, reflecting increased restructuring costs [15][20] Corporate Updates - The company is actively involved in litigation regarding its patented LNP technology against Moderna and Pfizer/BioNTech, seeking fair compensation for their use of this technology [9][10] - Andrew J. Sung's appointment as General Counsel is expected to enhance the company's legal strategy and corporate governance [4][8] - Arbutus continues to streamline its operations, focusing on advancing clinical development while reducing workforce and operational costs [12][14]