Warminster biotech company Arbutus Biopharma shared promising results from its latest study on a new treatment for hepatitis B, writes John George for the Philadelphia Business Journal.  

The company announced the findings at the European Association for the Study of the Liver conference in Milan, Italy. 

Arbutus reported that their treatment, imdusiran, helped 33 percent of patients achieve undetectable levels of a key hepatitis B marker in their blood.  

These results were maintained 24 weeks after the end of treatment, indicating the potential for a lasting cure.  

“These findings reinforce our belief in imdusiran’s potential when used with other immune-boosting treatments,” said Dr. Karen Sims, Arbutus’s chief medical officer. 

Hepatitis B is a serious liver infection affecting nearly 250 million people worldwide, causing around 820,000 deaths each year, according to the World Health Organization. 

Philadelphia-based Virion Therapeutics also presented positive results from its early-stage study of VRON-0200, a new hepatitis B drug.  

The trial, which involved 13 patients, showed that the drug was safe and well-tolerated, with positive effects on the patients’ immune responses.  

Read more about Arbutus and its progress towards treating hepatitis B in the Philadelphia Business Journal.  

Arbutus Biopharma: Company Explainer