Arbutus Biopharma Corporation (NASDAQ:ABUS) Q4 2022 Earnings Call Transcript

Keay Nakae: Okay. And then just a final question on the litigation with Moderna. Is there any update you can provide as far as a next step in that process?

William Collier: Yes, thank you, Keay. Unfortunately, not. We’re going to stick to our policy that we’ve had since we filed that case last year. We just don’t comment on the ongoing twist and turns of the case. So you didn’t see any updates in our press release or our prepared remarks and although frustrating for you guys, which I understand. That one is a no comment.

Keay Nakae: Okay, well, very good. Thanks.

Operator: Our last question comes from Roy Buchanan with JMP Securities. Your line is open.

Roy Buchanan: Thanks for taking my questions. I had a few for COVID first, I guess. So 343 looks very potent. Do you anticipate once daily oral dosing? When do you think we might see the preclinical data first presented for that? And then the IC50, presumably that’s in vitro and not cell based. Can you give us any details on what system that was?

William Collier: Mike?

Michael Sofia: Well, yes, our PK. So we have one presentation that’s going to be at ICAR this year in a couple of weeks that will highlight, sort of, the entire in vitro profile of the molecule itself. And we have anticipate submitting a couple of abstracts at other meetings coming up in the very near future to also share preclinical data that we have on the molecule. So hopefully, some of that will be rolling out shortly for everyone to see, and see what an exciting molecule we have in AB-343.

Roy Buchanan: Okay. Great. And any comments on the once-daily dosing?

Michael Sofia: I can say our PK looks very good. We — in multiple species, we’ll just have to see once we get in the clinic, what the dosing frequency needs to be. But right now, we’re pretty optimistic.

Roy Buchanan: Okay, great. And then on the 729, can you just remind us the criteria for restarting the NUCs for that patient that had to restart? What’s the criteria?

Michael Sofia: Good question.

Roy Buchanan: I can follow up later if it’s not.

William Collier: I think that one is not on the slide. That’s what I was looking at. So we’ll follow up with you.

Roy Buchanan: Okay. Great. And then I had — so it looks like GSK is limiting in the Phase III, the primary endpoint baseline s-antigen below 1,000. Looks like maybe that’s 15% to 20% of the population in their Phase IIb. Is that consistent with kind of your view of the overall CHB population? And then it looks like pretty much all the patients that you have off therapy, except maybe 1, were above 1,000. Is that — do I — am I looking at that correctly? Thanks.

William Collier: Good question. I don’t know that I can comment on the GSK trial. But the nine patients that we had discontinued, I think, had all sorts of historic starting s-antigen levels. We can get that information there for you, Roy.

Roy Buchanan: Right. I was just looking at the AASLD presentation, it looks like maybe one is below 1,000, but the rest looks like they’re above. Okay. And then I guess just for the interferon combo readout this half, I know you guys have been asked this before. Just what are we — key points that we should be looking out for, for that data? Thanks.