ATLANTA, Sept. 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — Antios Therapeutics, Inc. (“Antios”), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of innovative therapies to treat and cure viral diseases, announced today the publication of preclinical results of ATI-2173, Antios’ lead oral drug candidate for treating patients infected with Hepatitis B virus (HBV).
The manuscript, published in the peer-reviewed journal Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy and titled ATI-2173, a Novel Liver-Targeted Non-Chain-Terminating Nucleotide for Hepatitis B Virus Cure Regimens, described ATI-2173 as a selective inhibitor of HBV with an anti-HBV 50% effective concentration (EC50) of 1.31nM in primary human hepatocytes and minimal to no toxicity in hepatocytes, skeletal muscle, liver, kidney, bone marrow, and cardiomyocytes. ATI-2173 showed good oral bioavailability with liver targeting in rat and cynomolgus monkey studies, leading to reduced systemic plasma and skeletal muscle exposure while still maintaining effective concentrations of the active 5′-triphosphate in the liver.
“Unlike chain terminating nucleos(t)ide analogues, the active 5′-triphosphate of ATI-2173 is a non-chain-terminating inhibitor of the HBV polymerase that could potentially be combined with currently approved chain terminating nucleos(t)ide analogues, as well as other classes of HBV inhibitors in development,” said Abel De La Rosa, Ph.D., CEO of Antios.
Douglas Mayers, M.D., Chief Medical Officer of Antios said, “This research highlights the favorable preclinical profile of ATI-2173. We are excited to have started our phase I clinical studies.”
A phase I clinical trial is ongoing to investigate the safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics, and anti-HBV activity of ATI-2173 in healthy subjects and subjects with chronic HBV infection.
About ATI-2173
ATI-2173 is a novel liver-targeted molecule designed to deliver the 5′-monophosphate of clevudine. This L-nucleoside’s active 5′-triphosphate has unique antiviral properties as a non-competitive, non-chain terminating HBV polymerase inhibitor. By selectively delivering the 5′-monophosphate to the liver, while retaining the unique anti-HBV activity of the active 5′- triphosphate, ATI-2173 could become an integral part of a curative combination regimen for chronic hepatitis B.
About Antios Therapeutics Inc.
Antios Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of innovative therapies to treat and cure viral diseases. Antios is currently developing ATI-2173, aiming to provide chronic hepatitis B infected patients with a curative combination regimen.
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SOURCE Antios Therapeutics, Inc.