Preclinical data demonstrate durable silencing of HBV expression without cutting or nicking the DNA, nearly eliminating circulating HBV DNA and hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) following a single dose of the company’s epigenetic editor

Boston, MA, September 20, 2023 - Chroma Medicine, Inc., (Chroma) a genomic medicine company pioneering single-dose epigenetic editing therapeutics, today presented positive preclinical data demonstrating the potential of its epigenetic editors to produce efficacious, specific, and durable silencing of the hepatitis B virus (HBV) during the HBV International Meeting 2023, held September 19-23 in Kobe, Japan.

Chronic hepatitis B is incurable, increases the risk of developing liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular cancer, and impacts nearly 300 million people worldwide, accounting for more than 800,000 deaths per year. Antiviral therapy can suppress viral replication, but requires lifelong dosing and few patients achieve functional cure due to the persistence of covalently closed circular DNA (cccDNA) and the integration of HBV DNA into the host genome.

Current gene editing approaches rely on targeted DNA breaks, which introduce risk for translocations or increased viral integration into the host genome, limiting their utility for effectively addressing HBV. By harnessing the endogenous cellular mechanism for regulating gene expression, Chroma’s epigenetic editors provide highly efficacious, specific, and durable silencing of HBV expression with the potential for a functional cure without introducing the unintended chromosomal effects associated with traditional gene editing approaches.

Chroma identified several epigenetic repressors across the HBV genome, targeting HBV cccDNA and integrated DNA from multiple genotypes, that durably and efficiently reduced hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) and hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg) in cellular models of HBV infection.

The data show a single administration of Chroma’s epigenetic editor robustly and durably repressed serum viral markers in transgenic HBV mice, with 5 of 6 (83%) animals exhibiting undetectable HBV DNA and HBsAg at the last time point tested (> 5 months).

“Our epigenetic editing approach holds the potential for highly efficacious, specific, and durable silencing of both episomal and integrated HBV, independent of virus genotype,” said Vic Myer, Ph.D., Chroma’s President and CSO. “These results are an encouraging demonstration of our platform potential as we advance a new class of genomic medicines toward the clinic and bring hope for functional cures to patients living with chronic HBV.”

Details for Chroma’s presentation at the HBV International Meeting are as follows:

Title: Development of HBV-targeting epigenetic repressors with deep, durable in vivo silencing of viral markers
Presenter: Yesseinia Anglero-Rodriguez, Ph.D., Principal Scientist, Chroma Medicine
Date and Time: Wednesday, September 20, 2023, 5:15p - 7:15p JST (4:15a - 6:15a ET)
Session: Poster Session I

The presentation will be available on the Chroma website following the meeting.

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About Chroma Medicine
Chroma Medicine is a biotechnology company pioneering a new class of genomic medicines that harness epigenetics, nature’s innate mechanism for gene regulation, to deliver precise, programmable, single-dose therapeutics while preserving genomic integrity. The company was founded by the world’s foremost experts in genomic research and is led by a veteran team of industry leaders and scientists with deep experience in genomic medicine, drug discovery, and development. For more information, please visit chromamedicine.com or follow us on LinkedIn and X (formerly known as Twitter).

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