A single administration of CRMA-1001, a novel epigenetic editor, showed durable, dose-dependent reductions in viral antigens in an HBV AAV mouse model including > 99% reduction of HBsAg following a 0.5 mg/kg dose

These results highlight the potential of Chroma's epigenetic editing platform to drive transformative rates of functional cure in people living with chronic hepatitis B

Boston, September 16, 2024 – Chroma Medicine, Inc., (Chroma) a genomic medicine company pioneering single-course epigenetic editing therapeutics, presented new preclinical data demonstrating the potency of its optimized HBV-targeted epigenetic editor, CRMA-1001, in an oral presentation at the 2024 International HBV Meeting, held September 11-15 in Chicago. These data, along with data from an earlier generation HBV-targeted epigenetic editor, underscore the potential for CRMA-1001 to improve the rate of functional cures in patients with HBV.

CRMA-1001 is designed to silence both covalently closed circular DNA (cccDNA) and integrated DNA at the level of transcription without cutting or nicking the DNA, permanently inactivating HBV.

“Our platform represents a differentiated approach that addresses the key biological challenges underpinning treatment of chronic hepatitis B, offering the potential to meaningfully improve rates of functional cure for patients,” said Catherine Stehman-Breen, M.D., Chroma’s Chief Executive Officer. “These promising data showcase our ability to achieve potent, specific, and durable suppression of HBV biomarkers  with our epigenetic editing approach and support continued advancement of CRMA-1001 to the clinic .” 

In vivo data demonstrated that a single administration of Chroma’s epigenetic editor durably silenced HBsAg secretion in AAV-HBV and transgenic (Tg)-HBV mouse models, with dose-dependent reductions in HBsAg maintained for more than 6 months. Loss of HBsAg correlated with increases in anti-HBs antibodies in Tg-HBV mice. Results show that a single dose of the epigenetic editor eliminates HBV core antigen in nearly all hepatocytes. This HBV epigenetic editor is highly specific with no off-target changes in expression or methylation in the host genome. Additional data highlight the potency CRMA-1001 achieved through construct optimization, resulting in > 99% reduction of HBsAg after a single 0.5 mg/kg dose, reinforcing the potential for epigenetic editing to deliver effective, single-course treatment to drive meaningful functional cure rates in patients with chronic hepatitis B.   

Find the presentation on the Chroma website here.

About Chronic Hepatitis B

Chronic hepatitis B impacts nearly 300 million people worldwide, increasing the risk of developing cirrhosis and hepatocellular cancer and accounting for an estimated 1.1 million deaths annually. Antiviral therapy can suppress viral replication but requires lifelong dosing with few patients achieving functional cure due to the persistence of covalently closed circular DNA (cccDNA) and integration of HBV DNA in the host genome. CRMA-1001 is designed to silence both cccDNA and integrated HBV DNA at the level of transcription, permanently inactivating HBV without cutting or nicking the DNA. Unlike approaches which require chronic administration to maintain therapeutic effect, CRMA-1001 is designed to durably prevents the rebound of HBV DNA and viral biomarkers and subsequent reversion to a pathological state, potentially driving clinically meaningful rates of functional cure.  

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-course therapeutics while preserving genomic integrity. The company’s modular platform enables development of medicines that can address a wide range of complex diseases, whether they require silencing, activation, or targeting multiple genes at once. Chroma 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.

Media Contact
Lia Dangelico
Verge Scientific Communications
540.303.0180
lia.dangelico@deerfieldgroup.com