PHILADELPHIA, PA — Virion Therapeutics will present long-term clinical trial results for its experimental hepatitis B immunotherapy, VRON-0200, on November 9 at a major liver disease conference in Denver, providing new evidence on whether a single dose can produce sustained reductions in a key marker of chronic infection.
The Philadelphia-based biotechnology company said the data, covering all participants who received VRON-0200 alone in its Phase 1b clinical trial, were selected for a late-breaking oral presentation at The Liver Meeting 2026, organized by the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases.
The presentation’s title indicates that a single dose produced hepatitis B surface antigen, or HBsAg, reductions lasting more than two years in some participants, without rebound during the reported follow-up period.
HBsAg is a marker of hepatitis B infection, and sustained reductions are an important measure in research aimed at achieving a functional cure. A decline in the marker alone, however, does not establish that a patient has achieved a functional cure.
The findings could help assess whether VRON-0200 can contribute to treatment strategies intended to control hepatitis B without indefinite antiviral therapy.
Virion is developing the therapy as an immune modulator designed to stimulate the body’s T-cell response against hepatitis B virus.
Existing antiviral treatments can suppress viral replication but generally do not eliminate chronic infection, leaving many patients dependent on long-term medication.
The company is investigating whether restoring antiviral immune activity can improve treatment responses and help prevent viral rebound after treatment is discontinued.
“New antivirals are changing the HBV Functional Cure treatment landscape. However, the field recognizes that immune modulators are necessary to improve treatment responses,” said Andrew Luber, Virion’s chief executive officer.
Luber said the company is evaluating VRON-0200 as a potential immune modulator that could reduce the need for interferon-based treatment approaches.
Earlier results from the ongoing Phase 1b trial indicated that VRON-0200 was generally well tolerated and generated immune responses in patients with chronic hepatitis B receiving nucleos(t)ide antiviral therapy.
The company has also reported antiviral immune activity when the treatment was administered alongside combination antiviral regimens.
The new presentation will focus specifically on long-term follow-up among participants who received VRON-0200 without additional investigational therapies.
Professor Grace Lai-Hung Wong of the Chinese University of Hong Kong will present the findings November 9 from 11:15 to 11:30 a.m. Mountain Time.
The abstract, numbered 5016, is scheduled for publication on the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases website beginning November 5 at 8 a.m. Mountain Time.
Virion plans to release additional clinical data following the presentation.
Chronic hepatitis B remains a major global health problem despite the availability of preventive vaccines. An estimated 254 million people worldwide are living with chronic infection, with approximately 1.1 million annual deaths attributed to hepatitis B-related liver complications.
The disease can lead to cirrhosis, liver failure and liver cancer, creating demand for treatments capable of maintaining viral control after antiviral medications are stopped.
VRON-0200 remains investigational, and its ability to produce a functional cure has not been established.
The ongoing Phase 1b study is registered at ClinicalTrials.gov under identifier NCT06070051.
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