Tekmira to rebrand as Arbutus following integration of OnCore BioPharma

The company currently known as Tekmira (Nasdaq: TKMR) has announced plans to change its corporate name to Arbutus Biopharma Corporation, which will trade under the Nasdaq symbol ABUS.

The rebranding will take place by August 3, 2015, and the new company’s goal will be to develop a cure for chronic hepatitis B virus infection. It marks the integration of OnCore BioPharma and Tekmira into a combined company with the goal of delivering a cure for chronic hepatitis B.

Mark Murray, president and chief executive, said: "We are very excited about the prospects for our integrated new company, which has undergone a transformation to a complete HBV solutions company. The company possesses exceptionally strong and proven clinical development, scientific and commercial leadership teams and is very well resourced to execute against our goal of delivering a cure for chronic HBV. We believe that the market opportunity for a curative regimen for HBV is very significant, likely eclipsing the HCV market, and presents a meaningful opportunity for shareholders. We remain very confident in our potential to create value from our industry-leading strategy, team, and pipeline dedicated to developing therapeutic solutions to cure HBV."