Brii Bio Unveils New Data from Its Ongoing Phase 2 ENSURE Study at APASL 2025, Showcasing BRII-179's Unique Potential to Prime and Boost Higher HBsAg Loss Through Target Patient Identification
Brii Bio Unveils New Data from Its Ongoing Phase 2 ENSURE Study at APASL 2025, Showcasing BRII-179's Unique Potential to Prime and Boost Higher HBsAg Loss Through Target Patient Identification |
| [30-March-2025] |
DURHAM, N.C. and BEIJING, China, March 30, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Brii Biosciences Limited ("Brii Bio," or the "Company", stock code: 2137.HK), a biotechnology company developing therapies to improve patient health and choice across diseases with high unmet medical needs, announced new data from its ongoing Phase 2 ENSURE study as a late-breaking oral presentation at the 34th Annual Meeting of Asian Pacific Association for the Study of the Liver (APASL 2025) in Beijing, China.
ENSURE (NCT05970289) is a multicenter, open-label Phase 2 study. Cohorts 1-3 were designed to evaluate the contribution of elebsiran, an investigational small interfering ribonucleic acid (siRNA), in combination with pegylated interferon alpha (PEG-IFNα) in participants with chronic HBV infection with baseline hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) of 100-3,000 IU/mL. Participants who completed 9 doses of BRII-179, a recombinant protein-based therapeutic vaccine, in combination with elebsiran (BRII-835) in a previous APAC study BRII-179-835-001 (NCT04749368) were enrolled to Cohort 4 of this study and received elebsiran and PEG-IFNα combination treatment. The design of Cohort 4 as part of this study was based on insight from previous studies that a significant proportion of the chronic HBV patients fail to generate a sufficient immune response after receiving multiple doses of BRII-179, and therefore unlikely to have the immune support to achieve sustainable functional cure. Emerging data from Cohort 4 showed that participants who previously had BRII-179 induced anti-HBs response achieved a substantially higher rate of HBsAg seroclearance than those who did not. At Week 24, more than half of the BRII-179 responders (55.6% [10/18]) achieved HBsAg seroclearance, compared to only 10.0% (1/10) in non-responders. These latest data suggest that BRII-179 can serve as a predictive tool for enriching patients more likely to respond to curative therapies. Additional data from Cohorts 1-3 of the ENSURE study showed that higher end of treatment (EOT) HBsAg loss and seroconversion rates in participants receiving elebsiran in combination with PEG-IFNα than those receiving PEG-IFNα alone. "The positive Cohort 4 data from the ENSURE study opens new doors for HBV functional cure," said Dr. Grace Lai-Hung Wong, Professor of Gastroenterology and Hepatology at CUHK Medical Data Analytics Centre (MDAC) and Department of Medicine and Therapeutics in Hong Kong SAR, China. "Previous studies have suggested that BRII-179 may offer a unique opportunity to identify CHB patients who are able to elicit the necessary HBsAg antibody response. I believe these new findings provide clear evidence supporting such value proposition and further substantiate the role of BRII-179 in shaping future combination therapies." "We are encouraged that the Cohort 4 from the ENSURE study continue to support our enrichment strategy in developing a functional cure for chronic HBV in target populations," said David Margolis, MD, Chief Medical Officer of Brii Bio. "The results underscore the potential of BRII-179 in identifying patients who are more likely to respond to regimens aimed at functional cure, thereby enhancing functional cure rates in the target population while reducing exposure to costly therapies for those with a lower probability of cure. We are committed to advancing BRII-179 in combination with various modalities through our ongoing studies and collaborations with strategic partners, aiming to deliver higher functional cure rates to 254 million patients worldwide living with chronic HBV infection." Abstract Number: OP0335 Presentation Title: Responders to Prior BRII-179 Treatment Achieved Faster and Higher Rate of HBsAg Seroclearance Following Treatment of Elebsiran and PEG-IFNα in Participants with Chronic Hepatitis B Virus Infection: Preliminary Data from ENSURE Study Presenter: Grace Lai-Hung Wong, MBChB (CUHK), MD (CUHK), FRCP (Lond, Edin), FHKCP, FHKAM (Medicine), Professor of Gastroenterology and Hepatology at CUHK Medical Data Analytics Centre (MDAC) and Department of Medicine and Therapeutics in Hong Kong SAR, China
Abstract Number: LB0009 Presentation Title: Higher end of treatment (EOT) HBsAg loss and seroconversion rates in participants with chronic HBV infection receiving elebsiran (BRII-835) and pegylated interferon alfa-2a (PEG-IFNα) compared to PEG-IFNα alone: Week 48 results from ongoing ENSURE study Presenter: Jidong Jia, M.D., Ph.D., Professor of Medicine at the Liver Research Centre, Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University in Beijing, China
As part of Brii Bio's unique approach to developing a functional cure for HBV, the Company and its partners are actively progressing multiple combination studies with our differentiated portfolio, including BRII-179, a recombinant protein-based HBV immunotherapeutic being evaluated in multiple combination studies with elebsiran led by Brii Bio; elebsiran being evaluated in combination with PEG-IFNα in studies led by Brii Bio and tobevibart, an investigational broadly neutralizing monoclonal antibody targeting HBV, being evaluated in multiple Phase 2 and 3 tobevibart and elebsiran combination studies led by Vir Biotechnology. Key data readouts will be shared in the coming months at the scientific conferences throughout 2025. About Hepatitis B Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is one of the world's most significant infectious disease threats with more than 254 million people infected globally.[1] Chronic HBV infection is the leading cause of liver disease and an estimated 820,000 people die of complications from chronic HBV infection each year.[1] HBV is of exceptional concern in China, where 87 million people are chronically infected.[2] About BRII-179 BRII-179 is a novel recombinant protein-based HBV immunotherapeutic candidate that expresses the Pre-S1, Pre-S2, and S HBV surface antigens, and is designed to induce enhanced and broad B-cell and T-cell immunity. In November 2023, the Center for Drug Evaluation (the "CDE") of the National Medical Products Administration (the "NMPA") granted BRII-179 Breakthrough Therapy Designation. About Elebsiran (BRII-835, VIR-2218) Elebsiran is an investigational subcutaneously administered HBV-targeting siRNA designed to degrade hepatitis B virus RNA transcripts and limit the production of hepatitis B surface antigen. It has the potential to have direct antiviral activity against HBV and HDV. It is the first siRNA in the clinic to include Enhanced Stabilization Chemistry Plus technology to enhance stability and minimize off-target activity, which potentially can result in an increased therapeutic index. Brii Bio licensed exclusive rights to develop and commercialize elebsiran for the Greater China territory from Vir Biotechnology, Inc. in 2020. About Brii Bio Brii Biosciences Limited ("Brii Bio", stock code: 2137.HK) is a biotechnology company developing therapies to address major public health challenges where patients experience high unmet medical needs, limited choice and significant social stigmas. With a focus on infectious diseases, the Company is advancing a broad pipeline of unique therapeutic candidates with lead programs against hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. The Company is led by a visionary and experienced leadership team and has operations in key biotech hubs, including Raleigh-Durham, the San Francisco Bay Area, Beijing and Shanghai. For more information, visit www.briibio.com.
SOURCE Brii Biosciences Limited | ||||
Company Codes: HongKong:2137, OTC-PINK:BRIBY |
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