Assembly Biosciences Inc (ASMB)

[DewDiligence]

ASMB, ABUS collaborate on phase-2 HBV trial testing triple combination vs double combinations (plural):

https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2020/08/27/2084756/0/en/Assembly-Biosciences-and-Arbutus-Biopharma-Announce-Clinical-Collaboration-Agreement-to-Evaluate-the-Combination-of-Core-Inhibitor-ABI-H0731-with-RNAi-Therapeutic-AB-729-in-Patient.html

A randomized, multi-center, open-label Phase 2 clinical trial will explore the safety, pharmacokinetics, and antiviral activity of the triple combination of HBV core inhibitor ABI-H0731 [from ASMB], RNAi therapeutic AB-729 [from ABUS] and an NrtI [Vemlidy or Baraclude] compared to the double combinations of ABI-H0731 with an NrtI and AB-729 with an NrtI.

This clinical trial is projected to initiate in the first half of 2021 and enroll approximately 60 virologically-suppressed patients with HBeAg negative or positive chronic HBV infection. Patients will be dosed for 48 weeks, with a 24 week follow-up period.

The companies are sharing the cost of the trial, but no other money is changing hands.

Note that ABI-H0731 is not ASMB’s latest-generation core inhibitor (CpAM), and it has shown only modest efficacy as monotherapy—see #msg-156515976 and #msg-152253534.