Arrowhead Research (ARWR) stock was up on Thursday following positive results from a Phase 2 study.
The Phase 2 clinical study recently finished by Arrowhead Research was for ARC-520. ARC-520 is the company’s new drug to combat chronic hepatitis B. The study found that 84 patients didn’t suffer from adverse effects while taking the drug and that adverse effects have never been serious or severe in nature.
Arrowhead Research’s study results included HBV E-antigen positive (HBeAg-positive) patients with a chronic entecavir background that saw a mean maximal reduction of 92% on a 4 mg dose of the drug. It also found that NUC-naive, HBeAg-positive patients saw a maximum reduction of 99% 15 days after being treated with ARC-520.
Arrowhead Research’s study in chimps suggests that HBV cccDNA decreases during HBV’s lifecycle. HBV DNA continues HBsAg production as cccDNA production declines. NUC treatment accelerates this and ARC-250 is designed to focus on cccDNA.
“I have been extremely impressed by the potency of ARC-520 and its ability to reduce multiple viral proteins,” Robert Lanford, Ph.D., the director at the Southwest National Primate Research Center, said in a statement. “The results from the study in chimpanzees have revealed some important new insights about HBV biology and have introduced new ideas about effective ways to intervene in the HBV lifecycle.
ARWR shares were up 18% as of Noon Thursday.
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