Biotech Showcase™ 2016: Interview: Armed with promising clinical data, Abivax seeks partners

Abivax, a French clinical stage antiviral company, is using some of the EUR 58 million it raised in its June 2015 IPO to finance the late development of a promising anti-HIV compound and a potential therapeutic vaccine against chronic hepatitis B. CEO Dr. Hartmut Ehrlich reveals to Mike Ward, Informa Pharrna Insights global director of content, how Abivax is working to create a functional cure for HIV patients with a compound AB464 that modulates RNA splicing by inhibiting the activity of the RAF viral protein. Results so far suggest that the compound reduces the viral load in a sustainable way. One Phase IIa trial has been completed in naive patients and a second to confirm the sustained response is expected to start 2Q 2016. The company, in collaboration with Cuba's CIGB, is also running a Phase IIb/III open-label, randomized, comparative study designed to assess the efficacy of its candidate therapeutic vaccine ABX203 to maintain control of hepatitis B disease after cessation of nucleotide analogs. Dr. Ehrlich reveals that the company is looking for partners to support further Phase III development of both programs and to commercialize the treatments in defined markets.