A Study Evaluating Treatment Regimens Containing Vebicorvir (ABI-H0731) in Participants With Chronic Hepatitis B Infection

Phase 2

Terminated

• Conditions: Chronic Hepatitis B
• Interventions: Drug: VBR; Drug: AB-729; Drug: SOC NrtI

• Registration Number: NCT04820686
• Lead Sponsor: Assembly Biosciences

Brief Summary

The purpose of this study is to determine if vebicorvir (VBR, ABI-H0731) in combination with AB-729 is safe and effective in participants with chronic hepatitis B infection (cHBV) receiving a standard of care nucleos(t)ide/reverse transcriptase inhibitor (SOC NrtI).

Detailed Description

The initial cohort of participants will be enrolled in 3 treatment groups receiving 1) VBR + AB-729 + SOC NrtI, 2) VBR + SOC NrtI, or 3) AB-729 + SOC NrtI for up to 48 weeks. At Week 48, all participants will have an assessment of Treatment Stopping Criteria. Any participant who meets the Treatment Stopping Criteria, will discontinue their assigned treatment including NrtI and will remain in follow-up through Week 96. The participants who do not meet the Treatment Stopping Criteria will continue treatment with NrtI alone and will remain in follow-up through Week 96. Up to an additional 2 cohorts may be added to the study in future protocol amendments.

Study Timeline

• Study First Submitted: 2021-03-25
• Study First Submitted QC: 2021-03-25
• Study First Posted: 2021-03-29
• Study Start: 2021-05-07
• Primary Completion: 2023-03-30
• Study Completion: 2023-03-30
• Results First Submitted: 2023-09-11
• Status Verified: 2023-10
• Results First Submitted QC: 2023-10-23
• Last Update Submitted: 2023-10-23
• Results First Posted: 2023-11-14
• Last Update Posted: 2023-11-14

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: TERMINATED
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 65

Inclusion Criteria

• Body mass index (BMI) 18 to 36 kg/m^2 and a minimum body weight of 45 kg (inclusive)
• Female participants must be non-pregnant and have a negative serum pregnancy test at Screening and a negative urine pregnancy test at Day 1
• Chronic Hepatitis B defined as HBV infection documented for ≥6 months prior to Screening
• Hepatitis B 'e' antigen (HBeAg) negative at least 3 months prior to Screening Visit (historical documentation) AND at the Screening Visit
• Virologically suppressed on SOC NrtI therapy with nonquantifiable HBV DNA for at least 6 months prior to Screening
• On a stable SOC NrtI regimen of ETV, TDF, or TAF for >12 months
• HBsAg ≥100 international units/mL at Screening
• Lack of bridging fibrosis or cirrhosis
• Agreement to comply with protocol-specified contraceptive requirements
• In good general health, except for cHBV, in the opinion of the Investigator
• Able to take oral medication and willing to receive subcutaneous injections of AB-729.

Exclusion Criteria

• Co-infection with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), hepatitis C virus (HCV), hepatitis D virus (HDV), acute hepatitis A virus (HAV), or acute hepatitis E virus (HEV)

• Females who are lactating or wish to become pregnant during the course of the study

• History of liver transplant or evidence of advanced liver disease, cirrhosis, or hepatic decompensation at any time prior to, or at the time of Screening

• History of persistent alcohol abuse or illicit drug abuse within 3 years prior to Screening

• Clinically significant diseases or conditions, such as cardiac disease, including poorly-controlled or unstable hypertension; pulmonary disease; chronic or recurrent renal or urinary tract disease; liver disease other than cHBV; endocrine disorder; autoimmune disorder; poorly controlled diabetes mellitus; neuromuscular, musculoskeletal, or mucocutaneous conditions requiring frequent treatment, seizure disorders requiring treatment; ongoing infection or other medical conditions requiring frequent medical management or pharmacologic or surgical treatment that, in the opinion of the Investigator or the Sponsor, makes the subject unsuitable for study participation

• History of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC)

• History of malignancy other than HCC unless the subject's malignancy has been in complete remission off chemotherapy and without additional medical or surgical interventions during the 3 years before Screening

• History or presence at Screening of electrocardiogram (ECG) abnormalities deemed clinically significant, in the opinion of the Investigator

• History of hypersensitivity or idiosyncratic reaction to any components or excipients of the investigational drugs

• History of any significant food or drug-related allergic reactions such as anaphylaxis or Stevens-Johnson syndrome

• Exclusionary laboratory results at Screening:

  1. Platelet count <100,000/mm^3
  2. Albumin <3 g/dL
  3. Direct bilirubin >1.2× upper limit of normal (ULN)
  4. ALT ≥5× ULN
  5. Serum alpha fetoprotein (AFP) ≥100 ng/mL. If AFP at Screening is > ULN but <100 ng/mL, the subject is eligible if hepatic imaging prior to initiation of study drug reveals no lesions indicative of possible HCC
  6. International Normalized Ratio (INR) >1.5× ULN
  7. Estimated creatinine clearance (CrCl) <50 mL/min (using the Cockcroft-Gault method) based on serum creatinine and actual body weight at Screening
  8. Any other laboratory abnormality deemed clinically significant by the Investigator

• Current or prior use of prohibited (per protocol) concomitant medications from 28 days prior to Day 1.

• Current or prior treatment for cHBV with:

  • Lamivudine, telbivudine or adefovir (any duration)
  • HBV core inhibitor (any duration)
  • siRNA or other oligonucleotide therapeutic (any duration)
  • Interferon in the 6 months prior to Screening
  • Any investigational agent for cHBV in the 6 months prior to Screening.

• Participation in another clinical study of a drug or device whereby the last investigational drug/device administration is within 60 days or 5 half-lives prior to study start.

Study & Design

• Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Design: PARALLEL

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
VBR + AB-729 + SOC NrtI	VBR	Participants with cHBV received VBR + AB-729 + SOC NrtI for 48 weeks followed by 48 weeks in follow-up.
VBR + AB-729 + SOC NrtI	SOC NrtI	Participants with cHBV received VBR + AB-729 + SOC NrtI for 48 weeks followed by 48 weeks in follow-up.
VBR + SOC NrtI	VBR	Participants with cHBV received VBR + SOC NrtI for 48 weeks followed by 48 weeks in follow-up. This treatment was used as a reference regimen.
VBR + SOC NrtI	SOC NrtI	Participants with cHBV received VBR + SOC NrtI for 48 weeks followed by 48 weeks in follow-up. This treatment was used as a reference regimen.
AB-729 + SOC NrtI	AB-729	Participants with cHBV received AB-729 + SOC NrtI for 48 weeks followed by 48 weeks in follow-up. This treatment was used as a reference regimen.
AB-729 + SOC NrtI	SOC NrtI	Participants with cHBV received AB-729 + SOC NrtI for 48 weeks followed by 48 weeks in follow-up. This treatment was used as a reference regimen.
VBR + AB-729 + SOC NrtI	AB-729	Participants with cHBV received VBR + AB-729 + SOC NrtI for 48 weeks followed by 48 weeks in follow-up.

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Number of Participants With One or More Adverse Events (AEs)	AEs were collected from the time of signing the informed consent until the final follow-up visit, up to 96 weeks.
Number of Participants With Premature Treatment Discontinuation Due to AEs	AEs were collected from the time of signing the informed consent until the final follow-up visit, up to 96 weeks.
Number of Participants With One or More Abnormal Laboratory Result	Laboratory results were collected from the time of signing the informed consent until the study was early terminated, up to 96 weeks.

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Change From Baseline in Mean log10 Serum Hepatitis B Surface Antigen (HBsAg) On-Treatment	Baseline and Weeks 2, 4, 8, 12, 16, 20, 24, 28, 32, 36, 40, 44, 48, 52 and 56.	Subjects remained on their assigned oral agents (ie, VBR+NrtI for Groups 1 and 2; NrtI for Group 3) until Week 48 laboratory results required for Treatment Stopping Criteria assessment were available so there are some results past Week 48.
Number of Participants With Serum HBsAg Below the Lower Limit of Quantitation (<LLOQ)	Pre-specified time points up to 96 weeks
Change From Baseline in Mean log10 HBV RNA On-Treatment	Baseline and Weeks 2, 4, 8, 12, 16, 20, 24, 28, 32, 36, 40, 44, 48, 52, and 56.	Subjects remained on their assigned oral agents (ie, VBR+NrtI for Groups 1 and 2; NrtI for Group 3) until Week 48 laboratory results required for Treatment Stopping Criteria assessment were available so there are some results past Week 48.
Change From Baseline in Mean log10 Hepatitis B Core-related Antigen (HBcrAg) On-Treatment	Baseline and Week 48
Number of Participants With HBV Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA) Not Detected (<5 IU/mL)	Week 48
Number of Participants With HBV Ribonucleic Acid (RNA) <LLOQ	Week 48
Number of Participants With HBsAg Seroconversion	Week 48
Number of Participants With Normal Alanine Aminotransferase (ALT)	Baseline and at pre-specified time points up to 96 weeks
Change From Baseline in Mean log10 HBV RNA Off-Treatment	Weeks 52, 56, 60, 64, 68, 72, 76, 80, 84, 88, 92 and 96.
Change From Baseline in Mean log10 Hepatitis B Core-related Antigen (HBcrAg) Off-Treatment	Weeks 52, 56, 60, 64, 68, 72, 76, 80, 84, 88, 92 and 96.
Plasma Levels of VBR	Before dosing at Baseline (Day 1) and at pre-specified time points up to 48 weeks, and at Week 52
Plasma Levels of AB-729	2 hours after dosing at pre-specified time points up to 40 weeks
Plasma Levels of SOC NrtI (ETV, TDF, TAF)	Before dosing at Baseline (Day 1) and at pre-specified time points up to 48 weeks
Change From Baseline in Mean log10 Serum Hepatitis B Surface Antigen (HBsAg) Off-Treatment	Weeks 52, 56, 60, 64, 68, 72, 76, 80, 84, 88, 92 and 96.

Trial Locations

Locations (20)

University Multiprofile Hospital for Active Treatment St. Ivan Rilski; 🇧🇬 Sofia, Bulgaria

University Hospital - London Health Sciences Centre; 🇨🇦 London, Ontario, Canada

Liverpool Hospital; 🇦🇺 Liverpool, New South Wales, Australia

Pacific Gastroenterology Associates; 🇨🇦 Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Diagnostic Consultative Center Aleksandrovska; 🇧🇬 Sofia, Sofia City, Bulgaria

Nov Rehabilitatsionen Tsentar EOOD; 🇧🇬 Stara Zagora, Bulgaria

Saint George Hospital - Australia; 🇦🇺 Kogarah, New South Wales, Australia

Toronto Liver Centre; 🇨🇦 Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital; 🇦🇺 Nedlands, Western Australia, Australia

Auckland Clinical Studies; 🇳🇿 Auckland, New Zealand

Saint Vincent's Hospital Sydney; 🇦🇺 Darlinghurst, New South Wales, Australia

Westmead Hospital; 🇦🇺 Westmead, New South Wales, Australia

Footscray Hospital; 🇦🇺 Footscray, Victoria, Australia

The Alfred Hospital; 🇦🇺 Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

Vancouver Infectious Disease Centre; 🇨🇦 Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Acibadem City Clinic Tokuda Hospital; 🇧🇬 Sofia, Bulgaria

Ottawa Hospital Research Institute; 🇨🇦 Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

Centre Hospitalier Université de Québec - Université Laval; 🇨🇦 Québec, Canada

Wellington Regional Hospital; 🇳🇿 Wellington, New Zealand

Melbourne Health; 🇦🇺 Parkville, Victoria, Australia