GemVax "GV1001 Confirmed to Inhibit Hepatitis B Virus"

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunseok Yoo] GemVax & Kael announced on the 16th that a paper confirming the antiviral effect of GV1001 against hepatitis B virus (hereinafter HBV) was published in Frontiers in Immunology on the 21st of last month.

HBV infection is known to cause chronic and fatal liver diseases such as cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. It is estimated that 260 million people worldwide are infected with HBV. The annual number of deaths due to HBV-related diseases is approximately 887,000. Although it varies depending on geographical conditions, endemic areas, viral genotypes, and vertical transmission, about 12-20% of chronic hepatitis B patients progress to cirrhosis within 5 years. It is also known that liver cancer occurs in 10-17% of patients. However, there is still no perfect cure.

The paper by Professor Beomjun Kim of the Department of Microbiology, Seoul National University College of Medicine, published this time, is titled "A Telomerase-Derived Peptide Exerts an Anti-Hepatitis B Virus Effect via Mitochondrial DNA Stress-Dependent Type I Interferon Production" (GV1001 exerts an anti-hepatitis B effect through mitochondrial DNA-dependent type I interferon production).

Professor Kim explained the significance of the paper, saying, “GV1001 inhibited HBV replication and hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) secretion in a dose-dependent manner and showed a synergistic antiviral effect when co-administered with other antiviral agents such as entecavir and lamivudine. We also confirmed its effect in suppressing viral cccDNA and pgRNA. When GV1001 was intravenously injected into HBV-transformed mice, antiviral effects were observed, indicating sufficient potential for development as a hepatitis B treatment.”

Previously, Professor Beomjun Kim published papers demonstrating the antiviral effects of GV1001 against human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) via a heat shock protein-dependent manner.

A GemVax official said, “It is very encouraging that the antiviral effect, one of the various effects of GV1001, has been confirmed once again. Along with the smoothly progressing clinical trials, we will do our best in preclinical studies on new indications, especially regarding the antiviral effect.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.