Excision BioTherapeutics to Present at 2024 International HBV Meeting

SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 09, 2024 – Excision BioTherapeutics, Inc. (referred to as "Excision" or the "Company"), a biotechnology firm focused on developing treatments based on CRISPR technology to address severe latent viral infections, has announced its participation in the 2024 International HBV Meeting scheduled from September 11-15, 2024, in Chicago, Illinois. During this event, Excision will present data on its Hepatitis B virus (HBV) program, EBT-107.

EBT-107 is an innovative CRISPR-based gene therapy designed to potentially cure Hepatitis B. This therapy utilizes dual guide RNAs to target and deactivate the virus, thereby preventing the development of resistant variants. The presentation, titled "Development of a multiplex gene editing therapy with paired guide RNAs for the cure of chronic hepatitis B," will be delivered by Ryo Takeuchi from Excision BioTherapeutics. The oral presentation is scheduled for Saturday, September 14, 2024, at 2:30 pm CDT, under the session titled "Session XI: Therapeutics II."

Hepatitis B (HBV) remains one of the most widespread infectious diseases globally, with current treatments unable to provide a cure. Conventional antiviral and immunomodulatory treatments can reduce viral load and slow liver damage but do not eliminate the covalently closed circular DNA (cccDNA) that sustains the infection. Excision’s pioneering candidate, EBT-107, addresses this challenge by employing dual guide RNAs to excise significant portions of the viral DNA, thereby effectively deactivating the virus.

Excision BioTherapeutics focuses on creating CRISPR-based therapies aimed at curing viral infectious diseases. The company is at the forefront of developing treatments for HSV-1 keratitis, HBV, and HIV, all of which target and inactivate viral DNA. Excision’s innovative multiplexed gene editing approach has shown promise, building on positive safety and tolerability data from a Phase 1/2 trial of their first-generation therapy, EBT-101, in HIV patients. The foundational technologies for Excision's treatments were developed by Dr. Kamel Khalili at Temple University and Dr. Jennifer Doudna at UC Berkeley.

The company’s progress in the field of gene editing for viral diseases highlights the potential of CRISPR technology to revolutionize treatment approaches for diseases that currently lack curative options. Excision continues to advance its pipeline and research to bring these groundbreaking therapies to patients in need.