转发：慢乙肝治愈时代已经来临？乙肝基金会主席说：Yes！

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慢乙肝治愈时代已经来临？乙肝基金会主席说：Yes！
我们还需要多久才能找到一个治愈乙肝的方法？据乙型肝炎基金会主席及该基金会联合创始人Timothy Block博士的认为：我们已经接近了。乙型肝炎基金会的合作研究同盟机构——巴鲁克布隆伯格研究所 （the Baruch S. Blumberg Institute）。Block 同时指出，丙型肝炎曾经也被认为是不可治愈的，然而今天却被用联合治疗方法给治愈了。
专家们相信，治愈乙肝的方法不需要多久就可以开发出来。并且治愈的代价也不会非常大，世界范围内有2.4亿的人慢乙肝感染者，而每年都有将近1百万人死于肝衰竭和肝癌等相关肝病。
“治疗手段是可能的，” Block 解释道，“但我们对目前批准用于治疗的药物治疗手段太没有自信。”虽然这些药物有一定效用，干扰素有很多不良反应且需要每日用药而且还需要终身使用。这些药物只在一部分感染人群中有效并且只能降低死亡率在40%到70%之间。
治愈手段看起来是怎样的？
目前可用的抗病毒药物都是相类似的，联合用药也没有任何优势。他们对于 cccDNA 的抗病毒作用相当有限，看似坚不可摧的乙肝病毒“微型染色体”在感染的肝细胞内持续不断的生产出新的病毒，即使是已经治疗或正在治疗的患者。而，一种治愈性的方法，则必须是能够破坏或沉默 cccDNA 并提供长期的免疫作用。因为单药治疗会导致耐药的发生，所以，想必治愈性方法应该是一种联合疗法，就跟现在治愈丙肝的方法那样。
Blumberg 的科学家在增加对乙肝病毒的生命循环了解和设计并开发新路径测试新药物上扮演着至关重要的角色。
“由于拥有我们德雷克塞尔大学的同事，我们在第一批，如果不是第一组，识别出了一种小分子能够抑制乙肝病毒cccDNA形成，”Block 指出。这是非常显著的，因为抑制cccDNA的形成被认为是在达到完全治愈乙肝当中是非常必须的。Block 相信达到这一目标的药物不久就会被开发出来。
在2015年，巴鲁克布隆伯格研究所将好几个他们的发明授权给了 Arbutus Biopharma（杨梅生物制药），而 Arbutus 是第一个专门致力于乙肝药物发现的公司，他们签订了三年的研究知情同意，共同开发新型治愈乙肝的方法路径。Block 解释道“这一独一的合作伙伴关系将允许我们将我们的研究发现更快速的从实验室转移至临床研究。”
对于他们的药物兵工厂，Blumberg 的研究人员已经使用电脑模型设计并生产出了靶向药物专门用于抗乙肝病毒和肝癌。在另外一个创新途径，研究人员正在从搜集的天然产物中筛查植物和真菌提取物，该项目由Merck & Co公司赞助。在2011年，已经发现了两种有抗乙肝病毒潜力的药物。
越来越接近最终终点
“此刻，治愈越来越临近，我们从未如此乐观，”Block 说道。“这是乙型肝炎基金会的目标，因此我们都非常兴奋。” Blumberg 的研究人员正在建立对治愈乙肝和肝癌有提高势头的最新发现：寻找有效药物的新筛查方法；使用不同方法降低乙肝病毒的新治疗途径；能加速早期检测出肝癌的新生血液标志物；在动物实验中有选择性杀死肝癌细胞的可靠药物。
“这些年我们把时间放在治愈乙肝研究中，我们已经奠定了最后阶段，”Block 说。“我们承诺，我们所拥有的一切，我们所掌握的一切资源，为了开发出最终能够改善全世界乙肝病毒感染者治疗的努力，终将载入乙肝治疗史的史册。”
目前 Blumberg 研究所正在开发的药物
cccDNA Inhibitors：Blumberg 是唯一一个识别出第一个小分子抑制剂抑制HBVcccDNA的团队，现在已经生产出高活性小分子抑制剂并授权给 Arbutus Biopharma 进行更深入的研究。
Capsid Inhibitors, “YES Kinase” Inhibitors：它是利用高通量筛选和电脑模型设计和生产出靶向药物，这些药物中包含针对乙肝病毒的衣壳抑制剂和针对肝癌的“YES激酶”抑制剂。
Immune System Activators:他们已经开发出一款新的针对乙肝病毒的药物，药物的作用原理为激活感染乙肝病毒的肝细胞的免疫系统，该效用已经在动物实验中获得有效性验证。
Natural Antiviral Agents:他们已经从搜集来的天然产物中筛查了成千种植物和真菌提取物，并识别出了两种有抗乙肝病毒潜力的药物。


乙肝基金会主席 Timothy Block

trqyangwei

战友们，保持心态平稳，不喝酒，不熬夜，有个好身体，攒十年钱，希望就在前方！

trqyangwei

乙肝基金会主席和王院士的节目都提到了这类小分子药物，看来不久的将来乙肝是可以治愈的。

坦途

希望在明天,继续抗病毒中.等待有一天能治愈.

刘天歌

希望就在明天,继续抗病毒中.等待有一天能治愈.

齐欢畅2

主席和院士口中说的小分子药物是不是就是这个Blumberg，已经授权给 Arbutus Biopharma 进行更深入的研究。恩--顺藤摸瓜，有空去查查看。

丫丫2011

期待！每每有好消息都会及时关注！

好歌

天朝早就说过，战胜乙肝寄希望于中医中药。

齐欢畅2

回复 齐欢畅2 的帖子

Tekmira Announces Launch of Arbutus Biopharma, a Hepatitis B Solutions Company


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2015年7月20日,星期一 08:30 ET | Source: Arbutus Biopharma Corporation
Four HBV Product Candidates Advancing In Human Clinical Trials in 1H16

Three IND Filings in 2016 for Oral HBV Drug Candidates Targeting cccDNA, S-Antigen, and Core Protein

New Business Unit Established to Maximize Value of Tekmira's Non-HBV Assets

VANCOUVER, British Columbia and DOYLESTOWN, Pa., July 20, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Tekmira Pharmaceuticals Corporation (Nasdaq:TKMR) today announced plans to change its corporate name to Arbutus Biopharma Corporation ("Arbutus", ticker symbol "ABUS"), an industry-leading therapeutic solutions company focused on developing a cure for chronic hepatitis B virus infection (HBV), to be effective on or before August 3, 2015. The name change affirms the successful integration of OnCore BioPharma and Tekmira Pharmaceuticals into a combined company with the singular goal of delivering a cure for chronic HBV. The combined entity currently fields the largest portfolio of HBV product candidates in the industry and is led by an experienced and proven leadership team shown below with notable prior experience.

Mark J. Murray, Ph.D., President and CEO; formerly of Protiva, Zymogentics, and Xcyte Therapeutics
Patrick T. Higgins, Chief Business Officer; co-founder of OnCore BioPharma; formerly of Pharmasset and Roche
Bruce Cousins, Chief Financial Officer; formerly of Aspreva and Johnson & Johnson
Michael J. Sofia, Ph.D., Chief Scientific Officer; co-founder of OnCore BioPharma; formerly of Pharmasset (inventor of sofosbuvir for hepatitis C), Bristol-Myers Squibb, and Eli Lilly
William T. Symonds, Pharm.D., Chief Development Officer; formerly of Gilead Sciences, Pharmasset (clinical development of sofosbuvir for hepatitis C), and GlaxoSmithKline
Mark Kowalski, MD, Chief Medical Officer; formerly of Gilead Sciences, YM BioSciences, and Viventia Biotechnologies
Peter Lutwyche Ph.D., Chief Technology Officer, formerly of Protiva, QLT, and Inex Pharmaceuticals
"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," said Dr. Mark J. Murray, President and CEO of Tekmira. "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."

Strategy for HBV Development

We believe the solution to HBV lies in combination therapies. The development strategy of Tekmira is to first establish safety and activity of individual product candidates, followed by rapid progression to small cohort combination studies (with multiple products) to identify the most promising regimens. A key feature of this strategy is the planned speed of evaluation of different combinations, doses, and treatment durations – a strategy previously used by this leadership team at Pharmasset in developing sofosbuvir for HCV. Tekmira's broad pipeline of HBV product candidates, which will be further expanded through business development activity, will enable the company to rapidly advance the best product candidates and combination regimens and discontinue product development investment where it is no longer justified. Unique to our company is a commitment to a broad strategy and not to any individual product candidates. Our HBV pipeline currently consists of the product candidates shown in the chart that can be viewed by clicking the following link:

http://media.globenewswire.com/cache/14025/file/35721.pdf

Emerging Science and Advancing Pipeline

Tekmira maintains a high level of activity in business development to evaluate additional assets that could be added to the Company's pipeline. As the understanding of chronic HBV evolves, new targets and technologies are emerging as potentially promising approaches to treating HBV. One example of this dynamic is a hypothesis that inhibition of PLK1 could have utility in treating HBV. As a result, Tekmira is planning to modify the clinical program for TKM-PLK1 to study the effect of PLK1 on viral parameters in chronic HBV patients enrolled in the HCC trial. Tekmira is committed to having at least four HBV product candidates advancing in clinical development in 1H16. Tekmira expects to file INDs for three additional HBV product candidates in 2016: a cccDNA formation inhibitor, a core protein inhibitor (also known as capsid assembly inhibitor), and a surface antigen secretion inhibitor.

New Business Unit for Non-HBV Assets and Technology

Tekmira is also announcing the formation of a discrete business unit to manage, develop and maximize the value of Tekmira's non-HBV assets. The division includes preclinical RNAi product candidates, IP and related know how of the lipid nanoparticle (LNP) delivery technology platform, and multiple strategic partnerships exploiting the LNP technology. The business unit will be independently financed and has a dedicated management team led by Dr. Michael Abrams, Managing Director, who was formerly CEO of AnorMed. The development activities related to TKM-Ebola will be suspended and a joint re-evaluation of the development contract with the US Department of Defense is underway. The management team of the new business unit will evaluate strategic alternatives for this asset.

NASDAQ Bell Ringing and 2Q Financial Results

Arbutus management will be ringing the opening bell at the NASDAQ Marketsite on Monday August 3, 2015. Tekmira plans to announce 2Q financial results after the market close on Wednesday August 5, 2015. Tekmira will not be hosting a conference call in conjunction with 2Q financial results.

About Tekmira

Tekmira Pharmaceuticals Corporation is a biopharmaceutical company dedicated to discovering, developing and commercializing a cure for patients suffering from chronic hepatitis B infection (HBV). Our strategy is to target the three pillars necessary to develop a curative regimen for HBV: suppressing HBV replication within liver cells, stimulating and reactivating the body's immune system so that it can mount an effective defense against the virus, and eliminating the reservoir of viral genomic material known as covalently closed circular DNA, or cccDNA that is the source of HBV persistence. Our portfolio of assets includes a broad pipeline of drug candidates for use in combination to develop a cure for HBV. To support continuous discovery of potential novel drug candidates and technologies, Tekmira has a research collaboration agreement with the Baruch S. Blumberg Institute that provides exclusive rights to in-license any intellectual property generated through the relationship. The Baruch S. Blumberg Institute was established in 2003 by the Hepatitis B Foundation.

Tekmira is headquartered in Vancouver, BC, Canada with offices in Doylestown, PA, USA. For more information, visit www.tekmira.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, and forward looking information within the meaning of Canadian securities laws (collectively, "forward looking statements"). Forward-looking statements in this press release include statements about four HBV product candidates advancing in human clinical trials in 1H16; three IND filings in 2016 for oral HBV drug candidates targeting cccDNA, S-Antigen and core protein; the new business unit established to maximize value of non-HBV assets; plans and timing associated with a change of corporate name to Arbutus Biopharma Corporation; the successful integration of OnCore BioPharma and Tekmira into a combined company; the significant market opportunity for a curative regimen for HBV eclipsing the HCV market; the development strategy for HBV; the modification of the clinical program for TKM-PLK1 in chronic HBV patients enrolled in the HCC trial; at least four HBV product candidates advancing in clinical development in 1H16; expectations to file INDs for three additional HBV product candidates in 2016; the formation and financing of a discreet business unit to manage, develop and maximize the value of non-HBV assets; and the suspension of TKM-Ebola and joint re-evaluation of the development contract with the US Department of Defense, and the strategic evaluation for this asset.

With respect to the forward-looking statements contained in this press release, Tekmira has made numerous assumptions regarding, among other things: the effectiveness of preclinical and clinical trials, and the usefulness of the data generated thereon; the continued demand for Tekmira's assets; and the stability of economic and market conditions. While Tekmira considers these assumptions to be reasonable, these assumptions are inherently subject to significant business, economic, competitive, market and social uncertainties and contingencies.

Additionally, there are known and unknown risk factors which could cause Tekmira's actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements contained herein. Known risk factors include, among others: product candidates may not advance in clinical trials as currently anticipated, or at all; IND filings for HBV drug candidates may not occur as currently anticipated, or at all; the change of corporate name may not occur in the timeframe currently anticipated; the market opportunity for a curative regimen for HBV may be significantly less than currently anticipated; the development strategy for HBV may not proceed as currently anticipated, or at all; there may be no benefits for the company in including chronic HBV patients in the TKM-PLK1 clinical program; the value of non-HBV assets may never be realized; anticipated pre-clinical and clinical trials may be more costly or take longer to complete than anticipated, and may never be initiated or completed, or may not generate results that warrant future development of the tested drug candidate; Tekmira may not receive the necessary regulatory approvals for the clinical development of Tekmira's products; and market shifts may require a change in strategic focus.

A more complete discussion of the risks and uncertainties facing Tekmira appears in Tekmira's Annual Report on Form 10-K and Tekmira's continuous disclosure filings, which are available at www.sedar.com and at www.sec.gov. All forward-looking statements herein are qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement, and Tekmira disclaims any obligation to revise or update any such forward-looking statements or to publicly announce the result of any revisions to any of the forward-looking statements contained herein to reflect future results, events or developments, except as required by law.

Investors
Adam Cutler
Senior Vice President, Corporate Affairs
Phone: 604.419.3200
Email: [email protected]

Helia Baradarani
Manager, Investor Relations
Phone: 604.419.3200
Email: [email protected]

Media
Please direct all media inquiries to: [email protected]