MILFORD, Mass., Nov. 16, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Spring Bank Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing novel therapeutics for the treatment of viral infections, today announced a poster presentation for its lead Small Molecule Nucleic Acid Hybrid (SMHN) antiviral compound, SB 9200, for the treatment of Hepatitis C (HCV) infection at the 2015 American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD) Annual Meeting taking place November 13-17, 2015, in San Francisco.
"The results presented at AASLD show that SB 9200 positively impacted viral load in otherwise healthy, non-cirrhotic Hepatitis C-infected patients via innate immune activation," said Kris Iyer, Ph.D., Chief Scientific Officer of Spring Bank. "This study presents further evidence that SB 9200 activates the cell's innate immune response, triggering Interferon production which destroys infected cells, while at the same time providing protection to uninfected cells. This mechanism of action is unique among antiviral agents, and holds significant potential in the treatment of viral diseases."
SB 9200 is an oral antiviral agent that uniquely acts by modulating the host immune response to viral infections through activation of host antiviral sensor proteins, RIG-I and NOD2. RIG-1 and NOD2 are cytosolic viral sensors that are important for the regulation of the innate immune response and activation of intracellular interferon (IFN) signaling pathways in response to viral RNA.
"We continue to assemble positive data suggesting that SB 9200 can be an effective treatment against Hepatitis B, RSV and other chronic viral diseases," said Martin Driscoll, Chief Executive Officer of Spring Bank. "We are excited about these observations, and look forward to initiating Phase 2 trials of SB 9200 in 2016 in HBV and RSV."
The details for the AASLD presentation are as follows:
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Title: |
SB 9200 Shows Antiviral Activity Against HCV-RNA by Targeting Host Cytosolic Sensor Proteins RIG-1 and NOD-2 to Activate IFN Signaling Pathways |
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Poster Number: |
2262 |
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Summary: |
This study was a single ascending dose stage of a Phase 1 clinical trial in healthy Hepatitis C infected patients. Seventeen patients received 200-900 mg of SB 9200 PO daily for seven days at varying doses. Early baseline kinetics were measured from baseline through seven days after the first dose of SB 9200. Single doses of SB 9200 were well tolerated with no Interferon like side effects and no SAEs attributable to SB 9200. Evidence of dose-dependent antiviral activity was observed, warranting further investigation. |
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Results: |
Viral load decreased when plasma SB 9200 exposure increased in patients, and SB 9200 plasma exposure was greater in responders (n=6) than non-responders (n=11). Additionally, a statistically significant increase in Interferon production was observed following SB 9200 treatment, and peripheral Interferon levels were greater in responders than non-responders. The expression of Interferon downstream genes, ISG-15 and OAS-1, increased following SB 9200 administration and the gene expression was greater in responders than non-responders. |
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Conclusion: |
SB 9200 is a novel, first-in-class, oral agonist of innate immunity which upregulates Interferon-responsive gene expression in a dose-dependent manner. The data support a mechanism of antiviral action of SB 9200 involving modulation off innate immunity, meriting further evaluation in combination with direct-acting antiviral agents. |
About Spring Bank Pharmaceuticals
Spring Bank Pharmaceuticals is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company engaged in the discovery and development of a novel class of orally bioavailable therapeutics based on its proprietary small molecule nucleic acid hybrid, or SMNH, chemistry platform. SMNH compounds are small segments of nucleic acids that we design to selectively target and modulate the activity of specific proteins or enzymes implicated in various disease states. The Company is developing its most advanced SMNH product candidate, SB 9200, for the treatment of viral diseases. SB 9200 has been designed to selectively activate the host cellular proteins, RIG-I and NOD-2, which have been implicated in the body's immune response to viral infections. Spring Bank believes that SB 9200 can play an important role in antiviral therapy by modulating host immune response to fight viral infections such as HBV, HCV and RSV.
Contact:
Maeve Conneighton
Argot Partners
(212) 600-1902
maeve@argotpartners.com
SOURCE Spring Bank Pharmaceuticals, Inc.