Atea Pharma to Present Data on Bemnifosbuvir and Ruzasvir Combo for Hepatitis C at The Liver Meeting 2024

BOSTON, Oct. 30, 2024 – Atea Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: AVIR), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company committed to the discovery and development of oral antiviral treatments for serious viral infections, has announced three upcoming poster presentations that highlight the potential of combining bemnifosbuvir and ruzasvir as a treatment for Hepatitis C Virus (HCV). This combination therapy, which includes bemnifosbuvir, a nucleotide analog polymerase inhibitor, and ruzasvir, an NS5A inhibitor, is currently in Phase 2 development for HCV. The data will be showcased at the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases' (AASLD) The Liver Meeting 2024, scheduled from November 15-19 in San Diego, CA.

Jean-Pierre Sommadossi, PhD, Chief Executive Officer and Founder of Atea Pharmaceuticals, expressed excitement about presenting these significant data. He emphasized the persistent high incidence of HCV infections and the requirement for new therapeutic options, particularly for patients with substance abuse issues and other health conditions. Atea looks forward to reporting the Phase 2 study results later this year and advancing the program into Phase 3 development.

The presentation details for AASLD’s Liver Meeting include:

Poster Number: 1467
Date and Time: Friday, November 15, 1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. PT
Location: San Diego Convention Center
Title: "Multiscale Modeling of Lead-in Results from a Phase 2 Study of an 8-Week Combination Regimen of Bemnifosbuvir and Ruzasvir in Patients with Chronic Hepatitis C Virus Infection"
Presenter: Ruy M. Ribeiro, PhD

Poster Number: 1466
Date and Time: Friday, November 15, 1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. PT
Location: San Diego Convention Center
Title: "Bemnifosbuvir Does Not Alter Cardiac Repolarization in Healthy Participants: Results from a Thorough QT Study"
Presenter: Xiao-Jian Zhou, PhD

Poster Number: 1501
Date and Time: Friday, November 15, 1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. PT
Location: San Diego Convention Center
Title: "Bemnifosbuvir Poses High Barrier for Resistance in both Preclinical and Phase 1b Monotherapy Studies"
Presenter: Qi Huang, PhD

Bemnifosbuvir has demonstrated approximately 10 times the activity of sofosbuvir (SOF) against various HCV strains and clinical isolates in vitro. It has shown full activity against SOF resistance-associated substitutions (S282T), with up to 58 times the potency of SOF. Bemnifosbuvir’s pharmacokinetic profile supports once-daily dosing for HCV treatment and has a low risk of drug-drug interactions. The drug has been administered to over 2,200 subjects and has been well-tolerated at doses up to 550 mg for up to 12 weeks in both healthy individuals and patients.

Ruzasvir has shown highly potent, pan-genotypic antiviral activity in preclinical and clinical studies. It has been administered to over 1,500 HCV-infected patients at daily doses up to 180 mg for 12 weeks, demonstrating a favorable safety profile. Ruzasvir’s pharmacokinetic profile also supports once-daily dosing.

Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) is a blood-borne, positive-sense, single-stranded RNA virus that primarily targets liver cells. HCV is a leading cause of chronic liver disease and liver transplants. It spreads through blood transfusion, hemodialysis, and needle sticks. Globally, around 50 million people live with chronic HCV infection, with about 1 million new infections and 242,000 deaths annually. Most HCV-related deaths result from liver cirrhosis and liver cancer. Injection drug use accounts for roughly 30% of new HCV cases worldwide and 60% in the U.S., where an estimated 2-4 million people are affected. In the U.S., annual HCV diagnoses exceed the rate of treatment, with less than a third of diagnosed individuals receiving timely treatment.

Atea Pharmaceuticals is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing and commercializing oral antiviral therapies to meet the unmet medical needs of patients with serious viral infections. The company leverages its extensive knowledge in antiviral drug development to create novel therapeutic candidates for single-stranded RNA viruses, which are significant causes of severe viral diseases. Atea’s leading program involves the combination of bemnifosbuvir and ruzasvir to treat HCV.