– Clinical Trial Application accepted in Moldova with additional regulatory applications pending approval
– PBGENE-HBV is the first in vivo gene editing program for chronic hepatitis B virus to move into global clinical trials
– Company to host investor event highlighting clinical candidate safety data and plans for the Phase 1 trial prior to American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases Annual Meeting
DURHAM, NC, USA I October 24, 2024 I Precision BioSciences, Inc. (Nasdaq: DTIL), a clinical stage gene editing company utilizing its novel proprietary ARCUS® platform to develop in vivo gene editing therapies for sophisticated gene edits, today announced that it has received Clinical Trial Application (CTA) approval in Moldova for its lead candidate, PBGENE-HBV. PBGENE-HBV is Precision’s wholly owned in vivo gene editing program designed to cure chronic hepatitis B by eliminating cccDNA, the key source of replicating hepatitis B virus (HBV), while also inactivating integrated HBV DNA in hepatocytes. The company has opened the Phase 1 clinical program and is moving towards dosing patients.
“At Precision, we remain laser-focused on execution, and our first CTA approval for PBGENE-HBV represents another significant milestone as we complete our transition to a clinical stage in vivo gene editing company. With rapid regulatory approval in hand, we are working diligently to screen and dose patients at our first clinical site in Moldova,” said Michael Amoroso, Chief Executive Officer of Precision BioSciences. “In parallel, we are leveraging our robust regulatory package, which highlights the safety and potent antiviral effects of PBGENE-HBV in a variety of models, including non-human primates, to pursue additional CTA and IND approvals globally. This multi-track approach will enable us to accelerate enrollment into the trial and generate important clinical safety and efficacy data with the aim of bringing a potentially curative treatment to the nearly 300 million patients living with chronic hepatitis B globally.”
Prior to PBGENE-HBV, no other modality has been investigated in a clinical trial setting that is designed to eliminate the root cause of disease, the cccDNA. Additionally, the current standard of care requires daily chronic treatment with nucleos(t)ide analogs and only offers patients a 1-3% chance of functional cure. Through its precision cutting, compact design, and simple structure, PBGENE-HBV is engineered to target the HBV viral genome and drive functional cures for patients with chronic hepatitis B. PBGENE-HBV leverages the ARCUS® gene editing platform by delivering an ARCUS nuclease-encoding mRNA to the liver via lipid nanoparticles. When expressed in HBV-infected hepatocytes, the ARCUS nuclease specifically cuts a highly conserved sequence in the hepatitis B viral genome and is designed to eliminate cccDNA and inactivate integrated HBV genomes. The ARCUS platform is derived from a naturally occurring enzyme and has been optimized for over 20 years into a ground-breaking and highly precise gene editing tool.
“We are thrilled to receive CTA approval in Moldova given the high prevalence of chronic hepatitis B in the country and their expertise gained from multiple Phase 1 clinical trials in hepatitis B. Our clinical team, guided by our hepatitis scientific advisory board, has deep expertise in hepatitis B, and we believe that we are well-positioned to advance PBGENE-HBV towards dosing the first patient in the clinic,” added Dr. Murray Abramson, Senior Vice President, Head of Clinical Development of Precision BioSciences. “PBGENE-HBV is the first and only clinical stage approach to directly target and eliminate cccDNA, giving it the potential to achieve a functional cure. Next month, we plan to share additional information about our Phase 1 program, including the final preclinical safety package, with investigators and investors ahead of the upcoming AASLD meeting. With a clear regulatory pathway ahead of us, and our deep clinical expertise, we are focused on rapidly enrolling patients into the study and generating robust clinical data in patients with chronic hepatitis B who have for too long been unable to achieve meaningful functional cures.”
Precision has submitted multiple global clinical trial applications and is on track to submit additional CTA and IND filings as part of its global Phase 1 regulatory strategy for PBGENE-HBV. The company will provide updates as it receives additional regulatory approvals to begin treating patients in those markets. The company plans to provide an update on the PBGENE-HBV program on November 15th before the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD) Annual Meeting in November. Detailed information on how to join the webcast will be provided in the future.
About Hepatitis B:
Hepatitis B is a leading cause of morbidity in the US and death globally, with no curative options currently available for patients. In 2019, despite the availability of approved antiviral therapies, an estimated 300 million people globally and more than 1 million people in the US were estimated to have chronic hepatitis B infection. An estimated 15% to 40% of patients with HBV infections may develop complications, such as cirrhosis, liver failure, or liver cancer (hepatocellular carcinoma), which account for the majority of HBV-related deaths.
Chronic hepatitis B infection is primarily driven by persistence of HBV cccDNA and integration of HBV DNA into the human genome in liver cells, the primary source of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) in late-stage disease. Current treatments for patients with HBV infection include agents that result in long-term viral suppression as indicated by reduction of circulating HBV DNA, but these therapies do not eradicate HBV cccDNA, rarely lead to functional cure, and require lifelong administration.
About PBGENE-HBV:
PBGENE-HBV is a potentially curative approach to treating patients with chronic HBV infection through a highly specific, novel therapeutic approach. PBGENE leverages the ARCUS® platform and is designed to directly eliminate cccDNA and inactivate integrated HBV DNA with high specificity, potentially leading to functional cures.
About Precision BioSciences, Inc.
Precision BioSciences, Inc. is a clinical stage gene editing company dedicated to improving life (DTIL) with its novel and proprietary ARCUS® genome editing platform that differs from other technologies in the way it cuts, its smaller size, and its simpler structure. Key capabilities and differentiating characteristics may enable ARCUS nucleases to drive more intended, defined therapeutic outcomes. Using ARCUS, the Company’s pipeline is comprised of in vivo gene editing candidates designed to deliver lasting cures for the broadest range of genetic and infectious diseases where no adequate treatments exist. For more information about Precision BioSciences, please visit www.precisionbiosciences.com.
The ARCUS® platform is being used to develop in vivo gene editing therapies for sophisticated gene edits, including gene insertion (inserting DNA into gene to cause expression/add function), elimination (removing a genome e.g. viral DNA or mutant mitochondrial DNA), and excision (removing a large portion of a defective gene by delivering two ARCUS nucleases in a single AAV).
SOURCE: Precision Biosciences
Post Views: 4,120
– Clinical Trial Application accepted in Moldova with additional regulatory applications pending approval
– PBGENE-HBV is the first in vivo gene editing program for chronic hepatitis B virus to move into global clinical trials
– Company to host investor event highlighting clinical candidate safety data and plans for the Phase 1 trial prior to American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases Annual Meeting
DURHAM, NC, USA I October 24, 2024 I Precision BioSciences, Inc. (Nasdaq: DTIL), a clinical stage gene editing company utilizing its novel proprietary ARCUS® platform to develop in vivo gene editing therapies for sophisticated gene edits, today announced that it has received Clinical Trial Application (CTA) approval in Moldova for its lead candidate, PBGENE-HBV. PBGENE-HBV is Precision’s wholly owned in vivo gene editing program designed to cure chronic hepatitis B by eliminating cccDNA, the key source of replicating hepatitis B virus (HBV), while also inactivating integrated HBV DNA in hepatocytes. The company has opened the Phase 1 clinical program and is moving towards dosing patients.
“At Precision, we remain laser-focused on execution, and our first CTA approval for PBGENE-HBV represents another significant milestone as we complete our transition to a clinical stage in vivo gene editing company. With rapid regulatory approval in hand, we are working diligently to screen and dose patients at our first clinical site in Moldova,” said Michael Amoroso, Chief Executive Officer of Precision BioSciences. “In parallel, we are leveraging our robust regulatory package, which highlights the safety and potent antiviral effects of PBGENE-HBV in a variety of models, including non-human primates, to pursue additional CTA and IND approvals globally. This multi-track approach will enable us to accelerate enrollment into the trial and generate important clinical safety and efficacy data with the aim of bringing a potentially curative treatment to the nearly 300 million patients living with chronic hepatitis B globally.”
Prior to PBGENE-HBV, no other modality has been investigated in a clinical trial setting that is designed to eliminate the root cause of disease, the cccDNA. Additionally, the current standard of care requires daily chronic treatment with nucleos(t)ide analogs and only offers patients a 1-3% chance of functional cure. Through its precision cutting, compact design, and simple structure, PBGENE-HBV is engineered to target the HBV viral genome and drive functional cures for patients with chronic hepatitis B. PBGENE-HBV leverages the ARCUS® gene editing platform by delivering an ARCUS nuclease-encoding mRNA to the liver via lipid nanoparticles. When expressed in HBV-infected hepatocytes, the ARCUS nuclease specifically cuts a highly conserved sequence in the hepatitis B viral genome and is designed to eliminate cccDNA and inactivate integrated HBV genomes. The ARCUS platform is derived from a naturally occurring enzyme and has been optimized for over 20 years into a ground-breaking and highly precise gene editing tool.
“We are thrilled to receive CTA approval in Moldova given the high prevalence of chronic hepatitis B in the country and their expertise gained from multiple Phase 1 clinical trials in hepatitis B. Our clinical team, guided by our hepatitis scientific advisory board, has deep expertise in hepatitis B, and we believe that we are well-positioned to advance PBGENE-HBV towards dosing the first patient in the clinic,” added Dr. Murray Abramson, Senior Vice President, Head of Clinical Development of Precision BioSciences. “PBGENE-HBV is the first and only clinical stage approach to directly target and eliminate cccDNA, giving it the potential to achieve a functional cure. Next month, we plan to share additional information about our Phase 1 program, including the final preclinical safety package, with investigators and investors ahead of the upcoming AASLD meeting. With a clear regulatory pathway ahead of us, and our deep clinical expertise, we are focused on rapidly enrolling patients into the study and generating robust clinical data in patients with chronic hepatitis B who have for too long been unable to achieve meaningful functional cures.”
Precision has submitted multiple global clinical trial applications and is on track to submit additional CTA and IND filings as part of its global Phase 1 regulatory strategy for PBGENE-HBV. The company will provide updates as it receives additional regulatory approvals to begin treating patients in those markets. The company plans to provide an update on the PBGENE-HBV program on November 15th before the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD) Annual Meeting in November. Detailed information on how to join the webcast will be provided in the future.
About Hepatitis B:
Hepatitis B is a leading cause of morbidity in the US and death globally, with no curative options currently available for patients. In 2019, despite the availability of approved antiviral therapies, an estimated 300 million people globally and more than 1 million people in the US were estimated to have chronic hepatitis B infection. An estimated 15% to 40% of patients with HBV infections may develop complications, such as cirrhosis, liver failure, or liver cancer (hepatocellular carcinoma), which account for the majority of HBV-related deaths.
Chronic hepatitis B infection is primarily driven by persistence of HBV cccDNA and integration of HBV DNA into the human genome in liver cells, the primary source of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) in late-stage disease. Current treatments for patients with HBV infection include agents that result in long-term viral suppression as indicated by reduction of circulating HBV DNA, but these therapies do not eradicate HBV cccDNA, rarely lead to functional cure, and require lifelong administration.
About PBGENE-HBV:
PBGENE-HBV is a potentially curative approach to treating patients with chronic HBV infection through a highly specific, novel therapeutic approach. PBGENE leverages the ARCUS® platform and is designed to directly eliminate cccDNA and inactivate integrated HBV DNA with high specificity, potentially leading to functional cures.
About Precision BioSciences, Inc.
Precision BioSciences, Inc. is a clinical stage gene editing company dedicated to improving life (DTIL) with its novel and proprietary ARCUS® genome editing platform that differs from other technologies in the way it cuts, its smaller size, and its simpler structure. Key capabilities and differentiating characteristics may enable ARCUS nucleases to drive more intended, defined therapeutic outcomes. Using ARCUS, the Company’s pipeline is comprised of in vivo gene editing candidates designed to deliver lasting cures for the broadest range of genetic and infectious diseases where no adequate treatments exist. For more information about Precision BioSciences, please visit www.precisionbiosciences.com.
The ARCUS® platform is being used to develop in vivo gene editing therapies for sophisticated gene edits, including gene insertion (inserting DNA into gene to cause expression/add function), elimination (removing a genome e.g. viral DNA or mutant mitochondrial DNA), and excision (removing a large portion of a defective gene by delivering two ARCUS nucleases in a single AAV).
SOURCE: Precision Biosciences
Post Views: 4,120
