REP 2139-Ca / Pegasys™ Combination Therapy in Hepatitis B / Hepatitis D Co-infection

Summary

REP 2139-Ca is nucleic acid polymer. Nucleic acid polymers have been previously shown to clear serum hepatitis B virus surface antigen (HBsAg) both preclinically (in duck HBV infected ducks) and in human patients and to act synergistically with immunotherapeutic agents such as pegylated interferon-alpha 2a or thymosin alpha-1 to restore host immunological control of HBV infection. HBsAg is an essential component of the hepatitis D virus (HDV), therefore the direct action of REP 2139-Ca in removing serum HBsAg and its synergistic effect with pegylated interferon-alpha 2a is expected to have a significant antiviral effect against HDV infection. This study will examine the safety and efficacy of REP 2139-Ca therapy when used in combination with pegylated interferon alpha-2a in patients with HBV / HDV co-infection. The primary hypothesis to be tested is that this combined dosing regimen is safe and well tolerated in patients with HBV / HDV co-infection which will be assessed by examining the number of patients with adverse events (including reported symptoms and laboratory abnormalities). The secondary hypothesis to be tested is that this combined dosing regimen will have an antiviral effect against HBV / HDV co-infection in these patients which will be assessed by examining the following outcomes: 1. The number of patients with reductions in serum HBsAg. 2. The number of patients with reductions in serum HDAg and HDV RNA 3. The number of patients that experience a sustained antiviral response after treatment is stopped (reductions in serum HBV DNA and HDV RNA). The secondary hypothesis to be tested is that this combination approach can have an effective

Timeline

Start

2014-09

Primary completion

2016-11

Completion

2017-05

Publications

• Background Noordeen F, Vaillant A, Jilbert AR. Nucleic acid polymers inhibit duck hepatitis B virus infection in vitro. Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 2013 Nov;57(11):5291-8. doi: 10.1128/AAC.01003-13. Epub 2013 Aug 12.
• Background Noordeen F, Vaillant A, Jilbert AR. Nucleic acid polymers prevent the establishment of duck hepatitis B virus infection in vivo. Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 2013 Nov;57(11):5299-306. doi: 10.1128/AAC.01005-13. Epub 2013 Aug 12.
• Bazinet M, Pantea V, Cebotarescu V, Cojuhari L, Jimbei P, Anderson M, Gersch J, Holzmayer V, Elsner C, Krawczyk A, Kuhns MC, Cloherty G, Dittmer U, Vaillant A. Persistent Control of Hepatitis B Virus and Hepatitis Delta Virus Infection Following REP 2139-Ca and Pegylated Interferon Therapy in Chronic Hepatitis B Virus/Hepatitis Delta Virus Coinfection. Hepatol Commun. 2020 Nov 13;5(2):189-202. doi: 10.1002/hep4.1633. eCollection 2021 Feb.
• Bazinet M, Pantea V, Cebotarescu V, Cojuhari L, Jimbei P, Albrecht J, Schmid P, Le Gal F, Gordien E, Krawczyk A, Mijocevic H, Karimzadeh H, Roggendorf M, Vaillant A. Safety and efficacy of REP 2139 and pegylated interferon alfa-2a for treatment-naive patients with chronic hepatitis B virus and hepatitis D virus co-infection (REP 301 and REP 301-LTF): a non-randomised, open-label, phase 2 trial. Lancet Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2017 Dec;2(12):877-889. doi: 10.1016/S2468-1253(17)30288-1. Epub 2017 Sep 28.

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Indications