Arbutus doses first patient in additional treatment arm of Phase 2a trial

Arbutus Biopharma announced that the first patient has been dosed in the additional treatment arm of the AB-729 Phase 2a triple combination clinical trial that has been expanded to include a PD-1 monoclonal antibody, nivolumab. “We are excited to explore the addition of low dose nivolumab to our existing combination of AB-729 and VTP-300, and assess if this will further stimulate HBsAg reduction,” said Dr. Karen Sims, Vice President of Clinical Development at Arbutus Biopharma. “We are hopeful that if we can lower HBsAg and stimulate the immune system with the combination of AB-729 and the first dose of VTP-300 and further enhance this stimulation by administering a low dose of a PD-1 monoclonal antibody with the subsequent dose or doses of VTP-300, we may enhance the ability of the immune system to fully suppress the virus and in turn achieve functional cure. We look forward to reporting preliminary data from this additional treatment arm in 2024.”