Business
Ionis partner GSK announces positive topline results from B-Well 1 and B-Well 2 Phase 3 studies for bepirovirsen, a potential first-in-class medicine for chronic hepatitis B
CARLSBAD, Calif., January 07, 2026--Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: IONS) partner GSK today announced positive results from two pivotal Phase 3 studies, B-Well 1 and B-Well 2, evaluating the safety and efficacy of bepirovirsen, an investigational antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) for the treatment of chronic hepatitis B (CHB). The studies included over 1,800 patients from 29 countries. GSK licensed bepirovirsen from Ionis and the two companies have collaborated on its development.
About this update from Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
[{"type":"image","alt":"","displaySize":"","headline":null,"caption":"","credit":null,"className":"","disableSlideshowImg":false,"size":{"original":{"width":1024,"height":512,"url":"https://media.zenfs.com/en/business-wire.com/4d0075384e9c543a7940972576f7bbb0"},"resized":{"url":"https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/GK5zExHKnR5BFHJkXl9q3g--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTQ4MDtjZj13ZWJw/https://media.zenfs.com/en/business-wire.com/4d0075384e9c543a7940972576f7bbb0","width":960,"height":480},"lightbox":{"url":"https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/l6Yd8kDdBURFhnjozUWfoQ--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTIwNDg7aD0xMDI0O2NmPXdlYnA-/https://media.zenfs.com/en/business-wire.com/4d0075384e9c543a7940972576f7bbb0","width":1024,"height":512}},"lazy":false},{"type":"text","content":"– Primary endpoint met in both trials –– Bepirovirsen demonstrated a statistically significant and clinically meaningful functional cure rate –– Chronic hepatitis B (CHB) accounts for ~56% of liver cancer cases and affects more than 250 million people worldwide –– Global regulatory filings planned from Q1 2026 –","length":316,"tagName":"p","attribs":{}},{"type":"text","content":"CARLSBAD, Calif., January 07, 2026--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: IONS) partner GSK today announced positive results from two pivotal Phase 3 studies, B-Well 1 and B-Well 2, evaluating the safety and efficacy of bepirovirsen, an investigational antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) for the treatment of chronic hepatitis B (CHB). The studies included over 1,800 patients from 29 countries. GSK licensed bepirovirsen from Ionis and the two companies have collaborated on its development.","length":505,"tagName":"p"},{"type":"text","content":"CHB is a major health challenge affecting over 250 million people worldwide and is the leading cause of liver cancer. The current standard of care, nucleos(t)ide analogues, often requires lifelong therapy and the functional cure rates remain low, typically only 1%. Functional cure for CHB is when the virus can no longer be detected in the blood as measured by the sustained loss of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), a viral protein that signals ongoing infection, and undetectable hepatitis B virus DNA for at least 24 weeks after a finite course of treatment. Functional cure is associated with significant reduction in the risk of long-term liver complications, including live...