Brii Biosciences has secured complete ownership of BRII-179, a hepatitis B immunotherapy candidate, through an $18 million acquisition from VBI Vaccines and its creditors. The acquisition gives Brii full control over intellectual property, manufacturing, and supply while eliminating future milestone and royalty obligations, as the company advances multiple combination studies for chronic hepatitis B treatment.
Key Points
- Brii Bio acquired all BRII-179 patents, know-how, and materials from VBI Vaccines for $18 million, gaining complete ownership and eliminating all future milestone and royalty payments.
- The company has completed patient enrollment for the ENRICH study, a Phase 2b trial evaluating sequential treatment of BRII-179 followed by elebsiran and PEG-IFNα combination.
- BRII-179 is a recombinant protein-based immunotherapy that expresses Pre-S1, Pre-S2, and S HBV surface antigens, designed to induce B-cell and T-cell immunity.
- The therapy received Breakthrough Therapy Designation from China’s National Medical Products Administration in November 2023.
- Multiple combination treatment studies using BRII-179 are underway as part of the company’s strategy to achieve higher functional cure rates for chronic HBV patients.
- According to a 2024 review in Current Hepatology Reports, current evidence suggests single therapeutic agents may be insufficient for functional cure, necessitating combination approaches targeting both virus and host immune response.
This acquisition positions Brii Biosciences to advance its hepatitis B treatment pipeline with full control over a key asset, potentially benefiting millions of chronic HBV patients worldwide who currently have limited treatment options.
The Data
- Hepatitis B affects more than 254 million people globally, with 87 million chronically infected in China alone.
- An estimated 820,000 people die annually from complications of chronic HBV infection.
- The total acquisition price is $18 million, with termination of previous agreements that included a $2.5 million promissory note.
- Brii originally licensed BRII-179 from VBI in December 2018 and extended to global rights in July 2023.
- Recent studies show over 10% of patients achieving functional cure through PEG-IFNα treatment still experience relapse, mostly within 48 weeks after cure.
Industry Context
This transaction ensures us with uninterrupted clinical supply of BRII-179 and complete ownership of its IP. It vests more value of BRII-179 in Brii’s shareholders as we advance to late-stage development.
Dr. Zhi Hong, Chairman and CEO of Brii Bio
Chronic hepatitis B virus infection represents one of the world’s most significant infectious disease threats, particularly in China where it is the leading cause of liver diseases. BRII-179 approaches this challenge through immunotherapy, using recombinant proteins to potentially help patients’ immune systems better recognize and combat the virus. The therapy’s design targets multiple HBV surface antigens, aiming to generate a broader immune response than existing treatments. With the acquisition complete, Brii Biosciences now has full control of the intellectual property and has eliminated all future milestone and royalty obligations to VBI.
The hepatitis B treatment landscape has seen mixed progress in recent years. While companies like Arbutus Biopharma report achieving functional cure in up to 50% of patients specifically those with baseline HBsAg below 1,000 IU/mL using combination therapies, major pharmaceutical companies including Johnson & Johnson have exited hepatitis B drug development entirely. The challenge of achieving durable functional cure remains significant, with the persistence of covalently closed circular DNA (cccDNA) continuing to frustrate therapeutic efforts.
