Inovio Starts Phase I Trial to Test DNA Immunotherapy in Hep B Patients

Inovio Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ:INO) announced the start of a Phase I trial to evaluate its DNA immunotheraphy in patients chronically infected with hepatitis B.

Back in 2013 the company partnered with Roche Holding Ltd. (VTX:ROG,OTCMKTS:RHHBY) to co-develop and commercialize the immunotherapy, and now that the trial has started Roche must pay Inovio $3 million.

As quoted in the press release:

This phase I, randomized, open-label, active-controlled, dose escalation study will evaluate the safety, tolerability, and immunogenicity of Inovio’s hepatitis B immunotherapy, INO-1800, alone or in combination with INO-9112, Inovio’s IL-12-based immune activator. This international study will enroll patients in the United States and Asia Pacific region with a primary endpoint of safety and tolerability of the therapy. The secondary endpoints will evaluate the cellular and humoral immune response to INO-1800 and investigate the therapy’s effect on several viral and antiviral parameters. All trial subjects are also medicated with standard-of-care antiviral therapies.

Dr. J. Joseph Kim, president and CEO of Inovio, commented:

We are pleased our partnership has achieved this initial clinical advance emanating from the collaborative efforts at Roche and Inovio. While this is primarily a safety study, we will also investigate our therapy’s impact on antibody and T-cell responses, which will help advance the product into further trials. Recent developments have seen several successful drugs built on hepatitis C treatments. Hepatitis B has a prevalence nearly double that of hepatitis C and antiviral treatment can control but usually does not eliminate the virus. A successful immunotherapy for hepatitis B holds significant potential.

Click here to read the full Inovio Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ:INO) press release.