VIR-2218 Demonstrates Dose-Dependent and Durable Reductions of Hepatitis B Surface Antigen in Phase 1/2 Trial

Company to host a conference call at 2:00 p.m. PT today

SAN FRANCISCO, April 15, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Vir Biotechnology, Inc. (NASDAQ: VIR) today announced additional interim data from the ongoing Phase 2 trial in patients and results from the Phase 1 trial in healthy volunteers of VIR-2218, an investigational small interfering ribonucleic acid (siRNA) that mediates RNA interference (RNAi) for the treatment of chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection.

Interim results from the ongoing Phase 2 trial demonstrate that VIR-2218 results in a significant dose-dependent and durable reduction in hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) through Week 24 in patients with chronic HBV who received two doses of VIR-2218, ranging from 20 mg to 200 mg. Similar HBsAg reductions were observed in both HBeAg- and HBeAg+ patients. In addition, VIR-2218 was generally well tolerated, with the majority of treatment emergent adverse events (AEs) reported as mild in severity, and no clinically significant alanine transaminase (ALT) elevations observed.

“The rapid and sustained dose-dependent knockdown of surface antigen observed in this trial with only 2 doses of VIR-2218 is impressive,” said Edward J. Gane, M.D., Professor of Medicine at the University of Auckland, New Zealand and Chief Hepatologist, Transplant Physician and Deputy Director of the New Zealand Liver Transplant Unit at Auckland City Hospital. “Notably, this response was seen in both the HBeAg- and HBeAg+ patient groups, demonstrating that this single siRNA can knock down HBsAg in patients regardless of the stage of their disease. Novel agents like VIR-2218 that reduce the high viral antigen burden associated with chronic HBV infection will likely become the cornerstone of future functional cure regimens.”

By targeting a conserved region of the HBV genome, VIR-2218 is designed to inhibit the production of all HBV proteins, including HBsAg. Suppression of HBV proteins, particularly HBsAg, is hypothesized to remove the inhibition of T and B cell activity directed against HBV. VIR-2218 was the first siRNA in the clinic to include Alnylam Pharmaceutical, Inc.’s (NASDAQ:ALNY) Enhanced Stabilization Chemistry-Plus (ESC+) technology to enhance stability and minimize off-target activity, which may result in an enhanced therapeutic index.