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Vir Biotechnology Presents New Data Evaluating the Potential for VIR-2218 and VIR-3434 to Achieve a Functional Cure for Chronic Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) Infection at AASLD The Liver Meeting®
– New data from ongoing trials evaluating Vir’s two novel HBV therapies continue to demonstrate notable reductions in HBsAg and support their positive safety
About this update from Vir Biotechnology, Inc.
[{"type":"text","content":"– New data from ongoing trials evaluating Vir’s two novel HBV therapies continue to demonstrate notable reductions in HBsAg and support their positive safety profiles – SAN FRANCISCO, Nov. 12, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Vir Biotechnology, Inc. (Nasdaq: VIR) today announced new data from the Company’s broad hepatitis B virus (HBV) portfolio focused on achieving a functional cure for chronic HBV infection. Preliminary results from an ongoing Phase 2 clinical trial of VIR-2218, alone or in combination with other therapies, and an ongoing Phase 1 clinical trial of VIR-3434, continue to demonstrate rapid and notable reductions in hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) and positive safety findings. These data, along with health outcomes research, will be presented in one oral and three poster presentations at the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD) The Liver Meeting® 2021, taking place virtually from November 12-15. In summary, data presented at AASLD continue to support the promising safety profile and potential durable response of VIR-2218, an investigational small interfering ribonucleic acid (siRNA) that mediates RNA interference (RNAi), through 24 weeks. New findings also demonstrate that concurrent initiation of VIR-2218 and pegylated interferon alpha (PEG-IFN-α) therapy resulted in substantial HBsAg reductions compared to VIR-2218 alone or with PEG-IFN-α following a VIR-2218 lead-in. No new safety signals were identified. “The findings presented this week demonstrate that VIR-2218 plus immunomodulating agents like pegylated interferon may have potentiating effects, particularly when administered concurrently,” said Man-Fung Yuen, D.Sc., M.D., Ph.D., chair professor and chief of the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, deputy head of the Department of Medicine, Li Shu Fan Medical Foundation Professor in Medicine, The University of Hong Kong. “The rapid reductions in HBsAg levels across all four cohorts is encouraging. Specifically, the drop in HBsAg levels to less than 10 IU/mL among more than half of those receiving both agents concurrently and below the lower limit of quantification among three participants across all arms could be indicative of the potential for this regimen to serve as a functional cure.” Additionally, two analyses from an ongoing Phase 1 trial of VIR-3434, an investigational HBV-...