Biotech Values

[DewDiligence]

Follow-up on HBsAg: According to the AASLD webcast, ASMB thinks HBsAg has little if any consequence as a predictor of a complete response (i.e. cure) to chronic HBV.

A cynic would say that this is a convenient position for ASMB to take insofar as ASMB’s lead CpAM, ABI-H0731, does a poor job of reducing HBsAg in comparison to other HBV biomarkers: #msg-151764106, #msg-152253534 (chase link in embedded tweet).

Nevertheless, I think ASMB’s thesis vis-à-vis HBsAg’s role makes a lot of sense scientifically. My problem with ASMB, from an investment standpoint, is not in regard to their ideas about how to treat/cure HBV, but rather is that ABI-H0731 is a weak compound (#msg-148672065) and the company’s follow-on candidate (ABI-H2158) is still an unknown in terms of efficacy.

(Moreover, I'm a skeptic regarding biotech companies who are working on the microbiome, which is ASMB's other area of focus.)