Vir Biotechnology Secures €550 Million Licensing Deal with Norgine for Hepatitis Delta Combination Therapy
Key Insights
Vir Biotechnology granted Norgine exclusive commercial rights to tobevibart and elebsiran combination therapy for chronic hepatitis delta (search) in Europe, Australia, and New Zealand for €55 million upfront and up to €495 million in milestones.
The combination therapy achieved 66% hepatitis delta virus RNA (search) target not detected in Phase 2 SOLSTICE trial, representing a potentially first-of-its-kind treatment for the most severe form of chronic viral hepatitis.
Norgine will contribute 25% of ongoing ECLIPSE registrational program costs, while Vir retains commercialization rights in the United States and extends cash runway into Q4 2027.
Vir Biotechnology has entered into a major licensing agreement with European specialty pharmaceutical company Norgine, granting exclusive commercial rights to its investigational chronic hepatitis delta (search) (CHD) combination therapy across Europe, Australia, and New Zealand. The deal provides Vir with €55 million upfront and potential milestone payments of up to €495 million, along with tiered royalties ranging from mid-teen to high-twenties percent on net sales.
The licensed therapy combines tobevibart, an investigational broadly neutralizing monoclonal antibody, with elebsiran, a small interfering RNA (siRNA), targeting the hepatitis B surface antigen and viral RNA transcripts respectively. This dual-mechanism approach represents what Vir describes as a potentially first-of-its-kind therapy for CHD, the most severe form of chronic viral hepatitis.
Clinical Efficacy Demonstrates Strong Potential
Recent Phase 2 SOLSTICE trial data presented at the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD) meeting and published in the New England Journal of Medicine showed promising efficacy results. At 48 weeks, 66% of participants (21/32) receiving monthly doses of the combination achieved hepatitis delta virus (HDV) RNA target not detected (TND). Notably, the therapy demonstrated high TND rates even in participants with cirrhosis (search) and elevated baseline HDV RNA levels.
The treatment showed a favorable safety profile, with no grade 3 or higher treatment-related adverse events and no treatment-related discontinuations reported during the trial period. Both components are administered subcutaneously, offering a convenient treatment option for patients with this devastating disease.
Shared Development and Strategic Benefits
Under the agreement terms, Norgine will contribute approximately 25% of go-forward external costs for Vir's ongoing ECLIPSE registrational program, which includes three trials (ECLIPSE 1, 2, and 3). ECLIPSE 3, a Phase 2b head-to-head trial comparing the combination with bulevirtide in treatment-naïve patients, has completed enrollment and is designed to support access and reimbursement decisions in Europe and other key markets.
"We believe Norgine has the ideal expertise and reach in key international markets to maximize the impact of our investigational treatment for CHD," said Marianne De Backer, Chief Executive Officer of Vir Biotechnology. "People living with this devastating disease deserve efficacious, safe and convenient treatment options."
The financial impact extends Vir's operational runway, with the company expecting current cash, cash equivalents, and investments to last into the fourth quarter of 2027 based on its current operating plan.
Addressing Critical Unmet Medical Need
CHD represents a significant unmet medical need, with patients rapidly progressing to cirrhosis (search), liver failure (search), and liver-related death. The disease was recently classified as carcinogenic by the International Agency for Research on Cancer. Currently, no approved treatments exist in the United States, while options remain limited in the European Union and globally.
The combination therapy has received multiple regulatory designations recognizing its potential impact, including Breakthrough Therapy and Fast Track designations from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and Priority Medicines (PRIME) and orphan drug designations from the European Medicines Agency (EMA).
Janneke van der Kamp, Chief Executive Officer of Norgine, emphasized the collaboration's significance: "By combining our expertise in hepatology and specialty care with cutting-edge science from Vir Biotechnology, we are reinforcing our commitment to improving healthcare outcomes."
Vir retains all commercialization rights for the combination in the United States and other markets outside the Greater China Territory, while topline data from all three ECLIPSE trials is expected in the first quarter of 2027. The transaction closing in certain jurisdictions outside the United States remains subject to regulatory approval from applicable authorities.