Epigenetic Therapy Targets Hepatitis B in Early Trials

University of Basel-backed epigenetic silencing therapy shows promise for hepatitis B in early human testing but remains unproven as a cure.

nChroma Bio’s CRMA-1001, developed with University of Basel research, uses DNA methylation to target hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA. In mouse trials, 90% of subjects maintained undetectable viral load after three monthly injections over six months. Monkey testing revealed transient liver enzyme elevation at highest doses that resolved within four weeks. The therapy has entered Phase 1/2 trials in Hong Kong, New Zealand, and the UK. Tune Therapeutics reported similar biomarker suppression lasting at least 17 months after a single dose. However, the approach does not constitute a cure per developers. HBV genomes can differ by more than eight percent, potentially limiting universal effectiveness. Long-term efficacy and coverage of all viral variants remain unverified, as does the therapy’s ability to address all persistence mechanisms like cccDNA. Off-target effects are also a noted risk.

Source: Singularity Hub