SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif., June 07, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Aligos Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: ALGS), a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing novel therapeutics to address unmet medical needs in liver and viral diseases, today announced that the company will present seven posters collectively highlighting data on its liver disease programs at the European Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL) Congress 2023, taking place in Vienna, Austria, June 21 – 24, 2023.

“These presentations highlight the progress we have made advancing new potentially best-in-class compounds,” said Lawrence Blatt, Ph.D., MBA, Chairman & CEO of Aligos Therapeutics. “Each of these compounds represent a novel therapeutic strategy and we look forward to reporting additional findings at future meetings.”

The abstracts were released today on the EASL website; the posters will contain additional information and will be made available to conference attendees at the beginning of the sessions during which the posters will be presented. The presentations will be available on the Scientific Presentations and Conferences page on Aligos’ corporate website following the meeting. Details from the abstracts released today are below:

Chronic Hepatitis B

CAM-E ALG-000184
Abstract title: Treatment for up to 24 weeks with the capsid assembly modulator ALG-000184 results in dose related reductions in HBsAg in subjects with HBeAg positive chronic hepatitis B
Presenter: Jinlin Hou, M.D.
Summary: Dosing with ALG-000184 plus entecavir (ETV) for up to 24 weeks was well tolerated, exhibited predictable pharmacokinetics and resulted in substantial reductions in hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA and hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) compared to ETV alone. Dosing with ALG-000184 plus ETV resulted in dose-dependent, clinically relevant declines in HBsAg, suggesting a potential role of ALG-000184 in combination regimens for functional cure.

siRNA ALG-125755
Abstract title: Safety, pharmacokinetics, and antiviral activity of single ascending doses of ALG-125755, a GalNAc-conjugated small interfering RNA, in subjects with chronic hepatitis B
Presenter: Alina Jucov, M.D., Ph.D.
Summary: Single subcutaneous doses of 50 mg of ALG-125755, an siRNA designed to reduce hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) in subjects with chronic hepatitis B (CHB), were shown to be well tolerated to date in HBeAg negative CHB subjects with a safety and PK profile supporting further evaluation of higher dose levels.

Abstract title: Pharmacodynamic durability of ALG-125755, a GalNAc-conjugated siRNA, correlated with total and RNA induced complex (RISC) bound siRNA in mouse liver
Presenter: Kusum Gupta
Summary: In AAV-HBV mice, ALG-125755 was shown to bind to argonaute-2 (AGO-2), confirming its mechanism of action is consistent with that of an siRNA. Additionally, the pharmacodynamic response of HBsAg reduction and durability correlated with total siRNA and RISC-bound siRNA in mouse liver.

Small molecule PD-L1 inhibitor ALG-093702
Abstract title: Preclinical pharmacokinetic, pharmacodynamic and efficacy relationships of ALG-093702, a liver targeted PD-L1 small molecule inhibitor, in different in vivo models
Presenter: Tongfei Wu, Ph.D.
Summary: ALG-093702, a liver-targeted PD-L1 small molecule inhibitor, demonstrated similar in vitro potency and in vivo PD-L1 target occupancy and tumor growth inhibition as the PD-L1 antibody drug, durvalumab. Preclinical pharmacokinetic, pharmacodynamic and efficacy data provided guidance for the efficacious human dose prediction and dosing strategy for clinical studies of oral liver targeted PD-L1 small molecule inhibitors.

siRNA PD-L1 inhibitor
Abstract title: A potent human PD-L1 siRNA leads to significant reduction of AAV-HBV infected hepatocytes via immune activation in human PD-1/PD-L1 double knock in mice
Presenter: Jin Hong, Ph.D.
Summary: ALG-072571, a liver targeted PD-L1 siRNA therapy, demonstrated significant reduction of AAV-hepatitis B virus (HBV) infected hepatocytes through immune activation in human PD-1/PD-L1 double knock in mice. Therefore, ALG-072571 may lead to restoration of immune responses against HBV and consequent clearance of HBV infection.

Hepatitis B virus model system
Abstract title: An in vivo duck hepatitis B virus model recapitulates key aspects of nucleic acid polymer treatment outcomes in chronic hepatitis B patients
Presenter: Yannick Debing, Ph.D.
Summary: Nucleic acid polymer (NAP) efficacy in patients with chronic hepatitis B has been difficult to recapitulate in animal models. However, Pekin ducks have demonstrated some potential as a model. A preclinical investigation found that subcutaneous administration of NAPs in Pekin ducks injected with duck hepatitis B virus (DHBV)-containing serum recapitulated the efficacy of several established NAPs and suggest this model may be useful for the future evaluation of other NAPs.

Hepatocellular carcinoma
Abstract title: Selective inhibition of human β-catenin DNA transactivation activity using splice switching oligonucleotides for an improved therapeutic window in treating hepatocellular carcinoma
Presenter: Jin Hong, Ph.D.
Summary: ALG-135041, a human β-catenin SSO, demonstrated selective inhibition against DNA transactivation activity in the nucleus and showed a better therapeutic window than either siRNAs or ASOs. There is the potential for a significantly improved therapeutic window by precision targeting of only the DNA transactivating region of the multifunctional β-catenin protein.

About Aligos

Aligos Therapeutics, Inc. is a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company that was founded in 2018 with the mission to become a world leader in the treatment of liver and viral diseases. Aligos’ strategy is to harness the deep expertise and decades of drug development experience its team has in liver and viral diseases to discover and develop potentially best in class therapeutics for nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and viruses with high unmet medical need such as coronaviruses and chronic hepatitis B (CHB).

Forward-Looking Statement

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Any statements in this press release that are not historical facts may be considered “forward-looking statements,” including without limitation, statements with respect to Aligos’ programs being presented at EASL highlighting progress made to advancing potentially best-in-class compounds which represent novel therapeutic strategies and Aligos looking forward to reporting additional findings at future meetings. Forward-looking statements are typically, but not always, identified by the use of words such as “may,” “will,” “would,” “believe,” “intend,” “plan,” “anticipate,” “estimate,” “expect,” and other similar terminology indicating future results. Such forward looking statements are subject to substantial risks and uncertainties that could cause our development programs, future results, performance, or achievements to differ materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking statements. Such risks and uncertainties include, without limitation, risks and uncertainties inherent in the drug development process, including Aligos’ clinical-stage of development, the process of designing and conducting clinical trials, the regulatory approval processes, the timing of regulatory filings, the challenges associated with manufacturing drug products, Aligos’ ability to successfully establish, protect and defend its intellectual property, other matters that could affect the sufficiency of Aligos’ capital resources to fund operations, reliance on third parties for manufacturing and development efforts, changes in the competitive landscape and the effects on our business of the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic and the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine. For a further description of the risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements, as well as risks relating to the business of Aligos in general, see Aligos’ Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on May 4, 2023 and its future periodic reports to be filed or submitted with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Except as required by law, Aligos undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements to reflect new information, events or circumstances, or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.

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