AHB-137

AusperBio Therapeutics has raised $120 million in series C funds to advance its oligonucleotide therapy for chronic hepatitis B through phase 3 testing and hopefully on to commercialization. The Bay Area biotech's lead candidate, dubbed AHB-137, is an unconjugated antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) designed to suppress production of viral hepatitis B protein, inhibit viral DNA replication and promote immune reactivation. The therapy is currently undergoing a late-stage study in China. The series C was led by RA Capital Management, alongside existing investors such as HanKang Capital, Qiming Venture Partners, YuanBio Venture Capital and CDH Investments. It follows a $37 million series A in 2024 and a three-part series B financing across 2024-25 that brought in a total of $186 million. Ausper CEO and co-founder Guofeng Cheng, Ph.D., said the latest fundraise “represents an important inflection point for AusperBio as we advance AHB-137 toward potential commercialization while developing next-generation therapies for CHB.” “We look forward to building on this momentum to advance our strategy toward functional cure and unlock new opportunities across our oligonucleotide platforms,” the CEO added. The Bay Area biotech was founded in 2019 to develop targeted oligonucleotide therapies for chronic disease. Chronic hepatitis B, caused by the hepatitis B virus, affects nearly 296 million people worldwide, according to AusperBio’s website. Individuals living with this disease rely on long-term antiviral therapy in attempts to suppress the virus and prevent liver damage. ASOs act as custom puzzle pieces that attach to mRNA strands in cells of interest and interfere with the instructions for protein production. In a recently completed phase 2a study, AHB-137 monotherapy achieved a 30% functional cure rate at week 72 in patients with chronic hepatitis B. The therapy was also well tolerated with no drug-related serious adverse events, giving Ausper the confidence to take the drug into the phase 3 study in China. “AHB-137 has demonstrated promising clinical activity in patients and has the potential to serve as a backbone therapy for functional cure of CHB,” Ausper’s co-founder and chief scientific officer, Chris Yang, Ph.D., said. “This financing will enable us to further advance these platforms and build on their potential to generate differentiated targeted oligonucleotide therapies for CHB and other diseases with significant unmet medical needs.” GSK has led the way when it comes to using an oligonucleotide to treat chronic hepatitis B. The pharma's therapy bepirovirsen—which was licensed from Ionis Pharmaceuticals—was approved in Japan this week and is awaiting a decision from other regulators in the coming months. Ausper's funds will also help with the development of another potential chronic hepatitis B treatment in the form of AHB-171. The small interfering RNA (siRNA) therapeutic recently entered the clinic . The liver cell-targeted siRNA is designed to selectively suppress viral gene expression and provide potent and sustained antiviral activity, according to the company. The content above comes from the network. if any infringement, please contact us to modify.

Financing supports advancement of AHB-137 toward potential commercialization, including its Phase 3 registrational program and commercialization readiness Proceeds will also accelerate AHB-171 and next-generation combination approaches designed to advance functional cure for chronic hepatitis B Series C brings AusperBio's total capital raised to $360 million since 2024 Aug. 27, 2026 -- AusperBio Therapeutics, Inc. and Ausper Biopharma Co., Ltd. (collectively "AusperBio" or the "Company"), a near-commercial biopharmaceutical company focused on developing targeted oligonucleotide therapeutics for the treatment of chronic hepatitis B (CHB) and other diseases, today announced the closing of its $120 million Series C financing. The financing was led by a leading strategic investor, with participation from new investor RA Capital Management, L.P. ("RA Capital"), alongside continued support from AusperBio's existing investors, including HanKang Capital, Sherpa Capital, InnoPinnacle Fund, Qiming Venture Partners, YuanBio Venture Capital, and CDH Investments. With the completion of the Series C, AusperBio has raised $360 million since 2024, reflecting strong and sustained investor confidence in the potential of the Company's lead programs and differentiated oligonucleotide platforms. The financing will support the continued development of AHB-137, AusperBio's lead investigational ASO therapy for CHB, including its Phase 3 registrational program and commercialization readiness. Proceeds will also accelerate the development of AHB-171, the Company's investigational HBV siRNA candidate built on its proprietary Au-HALO™ targeted delivery platform, advance next-generation combination approaches for CHB, and further expand the Company's pipeline of targeted oligonucleotide therapeutics addressing significant unmet medical needs. "This financing represents an important inflection point for AusperBio as we advance AHB-137 toward potential commercialization while developing next-generation therapies for CHB," said Dr. Guofeng Cheng, co-founder and CEO of AusperBio. "We are grateful for the continued confidence of our existing investors and pleased to welcome RA Capital to AusperBio. We look forward to building on this momentum to advance our strategy toward functional cure and unlock new opportunities across our oligonucleotide platforms." Dr. Chris Yang, co-founder and CSO of AusperBio, added, "AHB-137 has demonstrated promising clinical activity in patients and has the potential to serve as a backbone therapy for functional cure of CHB. Our Med-Oligo™ ASO, Au-HALO™ targeted delivery and siRNA discovery platforms enable complementary approaches designed to achieve deeper and more durable antiviral responses. This financing will enable us to further advance these platforms and build on their potential to generate differentiated targeted oligonucleotide therapies for CHB and other diseases with significant unmet medical needs." AHB-137 is AusperBio's lead investigational unconjugated antisense oligonucleotide ( ASO) therapy for chronic hepatitis B (CHB), developed using the Company's proprietary Med-Oligo™ ASO platform. AHB-137 is designed to suppress hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) production, inhibit viral DNA replication, and promote immune reactivation, with the goal of achieving a functional cure for CHB. AHB-137 has demonstrated promising clinical results and is currently being evaluated in a Phase 3 trial in China, following completion of a global Phase 1 study and multiple Phase 2 studies. The Company is advancing AHB-137 through a coordinated global development strategy toward potential commercialization. AHB-137 is an investigational product candidate and has not been approved by any regulatory authority. AHB-171 is an investigational hepatocyte-targeted siRNA therapeutic candidate for the treatment of CHB that leverages AusperBio's proprietary Au-HALO™ liver-targeting delivery platform. AHB-171 is designed to selectively suppress viral gene expression and provide potent and sustained antiviral activity. As the first clinical candidate developed using the Au-HALO™ platform, AHB-171 is advancing the clinical validation of the Company's targeted delivery and siRNA capabilities and broadening the Company's differentiated HBV pipeline. AHB-171 is an investigational product candidate and has not been approved by any regulatory authority. Chronic hepatitis B remains a significant global health burden, affecting an estimated 254 million people worldwide and causing approximately 1.1 million deaths annually, primarily from cirrhosis and liver cancer, according to the World Health Organization. Current therapies can suppress viral replication but rarely achieve a functional cure, leaving many patients requiring long-term treatment. AusperBio is a near-commercial biopharmaceutical company focused on developing differentiated oligonucleotide therapeutics and targeted delivery technologies, with an initial focus on achieving a functional cure for chronic hepatitis B. The Company's innovation engine is built on its proprietary Med-Oligo™ ASO and Au-HALO™ targeted delivery platforms, supporting the development of therapies across multiple oligonucleotide modalities. With multiple clinical-stage programs and a growing pipeline, AusperBio is advancing a backbone-based combination strategy for functional cure of CHB while exploring opportunities in additional disease areas with significant unmet medical needs. The content above comes from the network. if any infringement, please contact us to modify.