Business
Vir Biotechnology Presents Data on VIR-2218 from Clinical Studies for the Treatment of Hepatitis B at the EASL Digital International Liver Congress™
SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 20, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Vir Biotechnology, Inc. (Nasdaq: VIR), a clinical-stage immunology company focused on treating and preventing
About this update from Vir Biotechnology, Inc.
[{"type":"text","content":"SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 20, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Vir Biotechnology, Inc. (Nasdaq: VIR), a clinical-stage immunology company focused on treating and preventing serious infectious diseases, today announced that data from its VIR-2218 clinical program will be featured at the European Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL) Digital International Liver Congress™ from August 27-29, 2020. VIR-2218 is an investigational small interfering ribonucleic acid (siRNA) that mediates RNA interference (RNAi) for the potential treatment of chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection and is the first investigational medicine from Vir’s partnership with Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Inc. to enter clinical trials.\n Among the accepted abstracts is an oral presentation of preliminary antiviral activity and safety results from an ongoing Phase 2 study of VIR-2218 in patients with chronic HBV on nucleotide/nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs), which are standard of care. The data demonstrate that two monthly doses of VIR-2218 resulted in substantial, dose-dependent and durable reductions in hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), a marker of active hepatitis B infection. The data also suggests that the Enhanced Stabilization Chemistry-Plus (ESC+) incorporated into VIR-2218 may result in an improved hepatic safety profile. Additional abstracts include safety and pharmacokinetic data from a Phase 1 study of VIR-2218, as well as preclinical data. “Chronic HBV infection is a major public health condition impacting almost 300 million people worldwide, and innovative approaches that do not require lifelong treatment are needed to sustainably address the disease,” said Phillip Pang, M.D., Ph.D., Chief Medical Officer of Vir. “By suppressing HBV protein expression, VIR-2218 is not only a potent antiviral, but also may serve to remove antigenic inhibition of T and B cell activity directed against HBV, enabling immunologic control. The well-tolerated and substantial dose-dependent reduction in HBsAg demonstrated to date by VIR-2218 supports our belief that it has the potential to serve as the backbone of a finite treatment regimen aimed at providing a functional cure for HBV.” VIR-2218 Scientific Research Presented at EASL Oral Presentation: Preliminary safety and antiviral activity of VIR-2218, an X-targeting HBV RNAi therapeutic, in chronic hepatiti...