BRIEF—Gilead and Vir team up to take on hepatitis B

Gilead Sciences and Vir Biotechnology are to kick off a clinical collaboration to evaluate novel therapeutic combinations targeting chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV).

A Phase II trial will test different combinations of selgantolimod, Gilead’s investigational TLR-8 agonist; VIR-2218, Vir’s investigational small interfering ribonucleic acid (siRNA); and a checkpoint blocker.

Gilead’s clinical research vice president Anuj Gaggar said: “We believe that selgantolimod and VIR-2218 have the potential to be best-in-class therapeutics and could provide a compelling new combination approach to a functional cure for HBV.”

Both companies will retain full rights to their individual product candidates, and will discuss a path forward based on the results of the trial.