OXFORD, United Kingdom, Sept. 13, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Vaccitech plc (NASDAQ: VACC), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company engaged in the discovery and development of novel T cell immunotherapeutics designed to harness the power of the immune system to treat chronic infectious diseases, cancer and autoimmunity, today announced it will host a Key Opinion Leader (KOL) Webinar to discuss the current treatment landscape for people living with chronic Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) infection and potential paths to a functional cure. Details are as follows:

KOL Webinar: Seeking a Functional Cure for Chronic Hepatis B
Wednesday, September 20, 2023 between 14:00-15:00 ET.
To register for the event, click here.

The event will feature the following renowned thought leaders who will discuss the current treatment landscape for patients with HBV, combination approaches to enhancing rates of functional cure and the potential of antigen-specific immunotherapeutic approaches:

• Eleanor Barnes, MBBS, PhD, FRCP, FMedSci, Professor of Hepatology and Experimental Medicine and a Ludwig Adjunct Scholar; University of Oxford, Nuffield Department of Medicine, and co-inventor of VTP-300.

• Ed Gane, MBChB, MD, FRACP, MNZM, Professor of Medicine, University of Auckland, New Zealand; Chief Hepatologist, Transplant Physician and Deputy Director of the New Zealand Liver Transplant Unit at Auckland City Hospital.

The Vaccitech management team will provide a clinical overview of VTP-300, the first antigen-specific immunotherapy that has been shown to induce sustained reductions in Hepatitis B surface antigen, a marker of the disease. Vaccitech is studying VTP-300, including in combination with siRNA and low-dose anti-PD-1 antibodies, as part of the search for a regimen that could lead to a potential functional cure for HBV.

Vaccitech currently has two ongoing trials in HBV. A Phase 2b clinical trial (HBV003; NCT05343481) to evaluate timing of the low dose nivolumab, additional doses of the MVA component of VTP-300 and a nucleos(t)ide analogues discontinuation protocol, in multiple countries across the Asia-Pacific region. In addition, a Phase 2a clinical trial (ACTRN12622000317796), in collaboration with Arbutus Biopharma Corporation, is evaluating the safety, antiviral activity and T cell responses of VTP-300 administered after Arbutus’ AB-729 in virologically-suppressed people with chronic HBV infection. Both trials expect to announce interim data in Q4 2023.

A live Q&A session will follow the formal presentations.

About Vaccitech
Vaccitech is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company engaged in the discovery and development of novel T cell immunotherapeutics designed to harness the power of the immune system to treat chronic infectious diseases, cancer and autoimmunity. The Company stands apart through a proprietary, multi-platform approach that has shown the ability to induce higher magnitudes of T cells compared with other technologies. Vaccitech is uniquely positioned to address the needs of large, underserved patient populations through a diverse clinical-stage pipeline of investigational therapies targeting life-threatening diseases that pose significant public health risk and have limited treatment options. The Company’s lead product candidates include VTP-300, an immunotherapy candidate designed as a component of a potential functional cure for chronic hepatitis B viral (HBV) infection; VTP-200, a non-invasive, early-stage investigational treatment for persistent, high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV); VTP-850, a novel T cell investigational therapy for prostate cancer; and VTP-1000, a preclinical T cell therapeutic candidate designed to restore immune tolerance in celiac disease. Vaccitech has proven drug development and scientific expertise in the field of immunization, co-inventing a COVID-19 vaccine with the University of Oxford, which is now approved and exclusively licensed worldwide to AstraZeneca. For more information, visit www.vaccitech.co.uk.