EBT-107's Antiviral Activity Highlighted at 2024 HBV Meeting

Excision BioTherapeutics, Inc., a biotechnology firm in the clinical stage focusing on CRISPR-based treatments for severe viral infections, revealed important findings from its Hepatitis B virus (HBV) program, EBT-107, at the 2024 International HBV Meeting held in Chicago from September 11-15, 2024.

Daniel Dornbusch, the Chief Executive Officer of Excision, highlighted the significance of these findings: "The data from both lab-based and animal studies presented at the conference mark a significant step forward in developing a novel treatment for Hepatitis B virus." EBT-107 employs a dual guide CRISPR editing technique delivered via nanoparticles. This method has shown marked suppression of HBV markers in both lab and animal models. According to Dornbusch, these promising results justify moving to human clinical trials and offer a hopeful outlook for CRISPR-based therapies. He expressed optimism about the potential of this therapy to benefit millions of HBV patients globally.

Hepatitis B is the most widespread blood-borne and liver infection in the world. Current antiviral and immune-modulating treatments fail to eradicate the core source of the infection, which is the covalently closed circular DNA (cccDNA). This DNA allows the virus to continue persisting in the body. Excision’s leading candidate for HBV treatment, EBT-107, is a CRISPR-based gene therapy designed with dual guide RNA to target and deactivate the virus, thus eliminating the persistent viral infection at its source.

Excision BioTherapeutics specializes in developing CRISPR-based therapies aimed at curing viral infectious diseases. The company's innovative treatments target viruses such as herpes simplex virus-1 keratitis (HSV-1 keratitis), hepatitis B virus (HBV), and HIV by inactivating the viral DNA. Excision’s treatment pipeline extends from promising safety and tolerance data obtained from a Phase 1/2 trial of an earlier therapy, EBT-101, in HIV patients. The foundational technologies of the company were created by Dr. Kamel Khalili of Temple University and Dr. Jennifer Doudna from the University of California, Berkeley.

By leveraging its multiplexed gene editing approach, Excision is at the forefront of creating advanced therapies to combat persistent viral infections. The company's efforts are particularly focused on addressing the limitations of current antiviral and immune-modulating treatments, which do not eliminate the viral DNA responsible for continuous infection. Through its pioneering work in CRISPR-based gene editing, Excision aims to develop treatments that can provide permanent cures for these challenging viral diseases.