Biotron shares surge 123% on HIV/HCV trial data

Biotron (ASX:BIT) shares more than doubled in value after the company announced strong interim results from a phase II trial in antiviral candidate BIT225 in patients co-infected with HIV and Hepatitis C (HCV).

Of the eight patients with HCV genotype 3 enrolled in the trial, all five who have treatment with BIT225 were virus-free at the 24-week time point.

Interim analysis of the patients who have completed 48 weeks of treatment suggest they remain virus-free at this time point as well.

The trial initially involved 12 co-infected patients, including eight with HCV genotype 3 and four with genotype 1. Patients were given BIT225 in combination with the common antiviral regimen of interferon and ribavirin (INF/RBV) for 28 days, followed by IFN/RBV for 48 weeks.

Several patients have withdrawn from the trial because they did not respond to INF/RBV or had an adverse reaction.

Up to 50% of HIV/HCV patients do not respond to the treatment regimen; in particular, patients with a particular form of the IL28B gene. A lack of response is most common in HCV genotype 1 patients.

“This 24-week data further validates the efficacy of BIT225 as a potential new therapy for HCV and, in particular, for this difficult-to-treat group of HIV/HCV co-infected patients who typically have more serious HCV infection and lower response rates to treatment with existing standard therapies,” Biotron Managing Director Dr Michelle Miller said.

The findings build earlier preliminary data showing that the HCV genotype 3 patients completing BIT225 treatment had undetectable levels of HCV at the 12-week time point.

A separate trial of BIT225 in mono-infected HIV patients indicates that the drug is able to target HIV reservoir cells.

Biotron (ASX:BIT) shares climbed 123.68% to $0.17 after the findings were announced on Thursday. The shares were trading at the same price as of around 1.30 pm on Friday.