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Precision BioSciences Announces Publication in Molecular Therapy of ARCUS® In Vivo Gene Editing as a Promising Therapeutic Approach to Cure Chronic Hepatitis B Infection
- ARCUS Genome Editing Achieved Substantial Reductions in both cccDNA and Hepatitis B Surface Antigen (HBsAg), 85% and 77% respectively, in HBV-infected
About this update from Precision Biosciences, Inc.
[{"type":"text","content":"\n- ARCUS Genome Editing Achieved Substantial Reductions in both cccDNA and Hepatitis B Surface Antigen (HBsAg), 85% and 77% respectively, in HBV-infected Primary Human Hepatocytes (PHH)\n\n- Significant Decrease in HBsAg and High On-target Editing Achieved in Novel Mouse and Non-human Primate Models Following Lipid Nanoparticle (LNP) Delivery of ARCUS mRNA\n\n- Circulating HBsAg Surface Antigen was Durably Decreased by 96% in Mice\n\n- Data Published also Presented at the 2022 American Society of Gene and Cell Therapy (ASGCT) Annual Meeting\n\n- Precision to Continue Developing PBGENE-HBV Product Candidate Using LNP Delivery and Expects to Submit an IND/CTA in 2024\n\n DURHAM, N.C.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--\nPrecision BioSciences, Inc. (Nasdaq: DTIL), a clinical stage gene editing company developing ARCUS-based ex vivo allogeneic CAR T and in vivo gene editing therapies, today announced preclinical research from its ongoing in vivo gene editing program targeting hepatitis B virus (HBV) has been published online in Molecular Therapy. Data from this study, “Targeting the Hepatitis B cccDNA with a Sequence-Specific ARCUS Nuclease to Eliminate Hepatitis B Virus In Vivo,” support the Company’s continued development of its PBGENE-HBV candidate as a promising gene editing approach that aims to eliminate virus persistence by targeting covalently closed circular DNA (cccDNA) in patients with chronic hepatitis B. This study was conducted in collaboration with Gilead Sciences and Acuitas Therapeutics and was also presented this week during the Gene Editing in Cancer and Complex Diseases oral session at the ASGCT Annual Meeting.\n\n“We’re very excited to see this study published in Molecular Therapy and to showcase the compelling reductions in cccDNA and surface antigen obtained with our ARCUS gene editing platform in two novel animal models of HBV infection. Our data suggest that LNP-delivered ARCUS mRNA is worth further exploration as a possible functional cure for chronic hepatitis B,” said Derek Jantz, Chief Scientific Officer and Co-founder of Precision BioSciences.\n\nPrecision’s gene editing program for chronic hepatitis B is designed to apply ARCUS to knock out persistent cccDNA and inactivate integrated hepatitis B genomes, potentially achieving durable HBsAg loss and functional cure. In this preclinical study, ARCUS efficiently targeted...