Experimental Therapy Holds Hepatitis B Cure 15 Months
Early data from a small study of an unapproved antisense drug, now in Phase 3 trials in China, points to a possible end to lifelong hepatitis B treatment.
Updated on Nov. 6, 2026 in Life Sciences
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AusperBio announced long-term follow-up data showing a functional cure of chronic hepatitis B maintained for up to 15 months after stopping all hepatitis B virus treatment. The results come from study AB-10-8004, which evaluated its investigational antisense oligonucleotide therapy AHB-137; the therapy is in a Phase 3 trial in China and has not been approved by any regulatory authority.
Why it matters
A durable functional cure, meaning control of the virus after treatment stops, is the outcome hepatitis B research has long sought, since most current therapies must be taken continuously. The data are early, drawn from small cohorts of 34 and 11 participants, and remain at the clinical-trial stage.
The study reports a functional cure maintained for up to 15 months in a cohort of 34 NA-treated and 11 treatment-naïve participants, with the treatment-naïve group receiving 16 weeks of AHB-137 monotherapy followed by 24 weeks without HBV treatment. The sample sizes are small, and the data are long-term follow-up from an investigational therapy in a Phase 3 trial in China.
The players
AusperBio
A biopharmaceutical company developing AHB-137 with its proprietary Med-Oligo antisense oligonucleotide platform, currently advancing the therapy in a Phase 3 trial in China.
The Liver Meeting 2026
The annual meeting of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases, where the study data will be presented in Denver, Colorado.
The details
AHB-137 is an antisense oligonucleotide, a short synthetic strand of genetic material designed to bind viral RNA and interfere with its function. It is designed to target hepatitis B virus RNAs, suppress production of hepatitis B surface antigen, and inhibit replication of viral DNA. The compound was developed on the company's proprietary Med-Oligo platform.
Timeline
November 5, 2026: AusperBio announces the long-term follow-up data.
November 5-9, 2026: The Liver Meeting 2026 takes place in Denver, Colorado.
November 8, 2026: Two late-breaking oral presentations of the study data are scheduled.
The Tech Race
AusperBio's antisense approach is positioned against conventional nucleos(t)ide analogue therapy, which controls the virus only while it is taken. The data's relevance to the field depends on whether larger studies in the Phase 3 program reproduce durable functional cure.
The therapy is still in a Phase 3 trial in China and has not been approved by any regulatory authority, so it is not available to patients today. If later trials confirm the results, the approach could reduce dependence on lifelong daily treatment for the estimated 240 million people worldwide living with chronic hepatitis B.
The takeaway
The key question is whether larger studies in the Phase 3 program confirm a durable functional cure. Watch the November 8, 2026 oral presentations at The Liver Meeting 2026 for the next data on this approach.
What happens next
Two late-breaking oral presentations of the study data are scheduled for November 8, 2026, at The Liver Meeting 2026 in Denver.
Further reading
For broader context, explore the latest in Life Sciences research.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Mohave Valley Daily News.
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