AusperBio Therapeutics Series B Funding and Clinical Trials: Advancing a Functional Cure for Chronic Hepatitis B
Chronic hepatitis B () affects over 290 million people worldwide and demands innovative therapies to achieve a functional cure. AusperBio Therapeutics, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company founded in 2019 by Dr. Guofeng Cheng and Dr. Chris Yang, recently raised $73 million in Series B financing to accelerate its lead antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) therapy, AHB-137. This article explores AusperBio’s mission, its proprietary Med-Oligo™ ASO platform, the details of the $73 million funding round, AHB-137’s mechanism and trial results, broader biotech investment trends, and the anticipated impact on patients and the future of CHB treatment.
What Is AusperBio Therapeutics and Its Mission in Chronic Hepatitis B Treatment?
AusperBio Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biotech innovator dedicated to achieving a functional cure for through targeted oligonucleotide therapies. The company’s mission centers on harnessing its Med-Oligo™ ASO platform to silence viral gene expression and restore healthy liver function.
Who Are the Founders Behind AusperBio Therapeutics?
Dr. Guofeng Cheng and Dr. Chris Yang co-founded AusperBio in 2019, combining expertise in molecular biology and clinical development. Under their leadership, AusperBio has advanced its proprietary ASO technology from concept to Phase 2 trials, demonstrating a seamless transition from preclinical discovery to human studies.
How Does AusperBio’s Med-Oligo™ ASO Platform Drive Innovation?
The Med-Oligo™ ASO platform uses chemically modified antisense oligonucleotides to bind and degrade target viral RNAs, thereby reducing hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) and cccDNA maintenance. By enhancing tissue uptake and stability, this platform improves therapeutic efficacy and minimizes off-target effects, laying the groundwork for treatments across viral, metabolic, and genetic diseases.
Med-Oligo™ ASO Platform
What Is the Global Impact of Chronic Hepatitis B and Unmet Medical Needs?
Chronic hepatitis B is a long-term liver infection caused by the hepatitis B virus that can lead to cirrhosis, liver failure, and hepatocellular carcinoma. Despite antiviral therapies, functional cures—defined by sustained HBsAg loss and undetectable viral DNA—remain rare. Addressing these unmet needs requires therapies that directly target viral transcripts and bolster immune control, which AusperBio’s ASO approach aims to deliver.
How Did AusperBio Secure $73M in Series B Funding for Clinical Trials?
The $73 million Series B round reflects strong investor confidence in AusperBio’s ASO pipeline and its potential to transform treatment. This capital infusion will support global Phase 2 studies of AHB-137 and expand the Med-Oligo™ platform into additional indications.
AusperBio’s Series B Funding
Which Venture Capital Firms Invested in AusperBio’s Series B Round?
Key investors in AusperBio’s Series B included:
- HanKang Capital
- Sherpa Capital
- CDH Investments
- Qiming Venture Partners
- InnoPinnacle Fund
- YuanBio Venture Capital
What Are the Typical Characteristics and Importance of Biotech Series B Funding?
Series B funding in biotech typically ranges from $20 million to $200 million and aims to de-risk clinical development. It often signals transition from proof-of-concept to larger human trials, supports regulatory interactions, and enables infrastructure scaling. Such rounds attract institutional investors seeking late-stage assets with clear paths to value inflection.
How Will the $73M Funding Accelerate AusperBio’s Clinical Development?
The new capital will:
- Expand Phase 2 Trials – Initiate multi-center studies in Asia, Europe, and North America.
- Scale Manufacturing – Produce GMP-grade ASOs to meet growing trial demands.
- Enhance Biomarker Research – Develop companion diagnostics for patient stratification.
- Build Regulatory Support – Engage with FDA and NMPA for breakthrough designations.
What Is AHB-137 and How Does It Target Chronic Hepatitis B?
AHB-137 is a first-in-class ASO therapy designed to achieve sustained viral suppression and HBsAg clearance in patients. Its dual-mechanism approach degrades viral RNAs and modulates host immune pathways to promote lasting remission.
What Is the Mechanism of Action of AHB-137’s Antisense Oligonucleotide Therapy?
AHB-137 binds specifically to HBV pregenomic RNA and surface antigen transcripts, recruiting RNase H to cleave viral RNA. This results in reduced viral protein production and restoration of innate immune responses critical for long-term viral control.
What Are the Key Results from AHB-137’s Phase 1b Clinical Trial?
- Dose-dependent HBsAg reduction up to 2 log IU/mL
- Favorable safety profile with mild injection-site reactions
- Sustained viral RNA suppression four weeks post-dosing
How Are Ongoing Phase 2 Trials Designed to Achieve a Functional Cure?
Ongoing Phase 2 studies enroll treatment-experienced patients across multiple regions to assess AHB-137’s ability to induce HBsAg seroclearance. Trials use randomized, placebo-controlled designs with primary endpoints of HBsAg loss and secondary endpoints including ALT normalization and HBV DNA suppression.
Where Are the Phase 2 Clinical Trials Being Conducted Globally and in China?
Phase 2 trials are active in:
- China (Hangzhou, Shanghai)
- United States (California, Texas)
- Europe (UK, Germany)
What Does the Breakthrough Therapy Designation Mean for AHB-137?
Breakthrough Therapy Designation () awarded by the NMPA in China recognizes AHB-137’s potential to provide substantial improvement over existing treatments.
AHB-137 and Breakthrough Therapy Designation
How Does the Med-Oligo™ ASO Platform Enhance Oligonucleotide Therapeutics Development?
The Med-Oligo™ ASO platform combines advanced chemistry and targeted delivery to overcome barriers in oligonucleotide therapy, such as poor stability and limited tissue uptake.
What Makes Med-Oligo™ ASO Platform Unique Compared to Other ASO Technologies?
A proprietary conjugation of lipid-PEG moieties enhances cell membrane penetration, while sequence modifications confer nuclease resistance. This dual innovation improves half-life and target engagement, enabling lower dosing and wider therapeutic indices than traditional ASOs.
Which Diseases Beyond CHB Could Benefit from Med-Oligo™ ASO Platform?
- Metabolic Disorders – Targeting key enzymes for dyslipidemia.
- Genetic Diseases – Silencing mutant transcripts in muscular dystrophies.
- Immune Diseases – Modulating cytokine expression in autoimmune conditions.
How Does Med-Oligo™ Improve Targeted Delivery and Therapeutic Efficacy?
By combining ligand–receptor targeting with stable backbone chemistry, Med-Oligo™ ensures high accumulation in diseased tissues—such as the liver—while reducing systemic exposure. This focused delivery enhances on-target activity and lowers adverse event rates.
What Are the Current Trends in Biotech Series B Investments and Venture Capital for Biopharmaceutical Startups?
Biotech Series B rounds in 2024 remain robust, driven by strong interest in novel therapeutic modalities and a resurgence of strategic partnerships.
How Does AusperBio’s Funding Round Reflect Broader Biotech Investment Trends in 2024?
The $73 million round aligns with sector patterns where ASO and RNA therapies capture investor attention due to recent clinical successes. Healthtech investment surpassed $25 billion in 2024, with over 40 percent allocated to late-stage rounds supporting clinical advancement.
What Is the Role of China’s Biotech Venture Capital Scene in Supporting Clinical Trials?
China’s VC ecosystem, backed by government incentives and local manufacturing capabilities, fuels rapid trial initiation and scale-up. Growing allocations to health R&D and strategic collaborations with U.S. firms enable biotechs like AusperBio to leverage global expertise and funding sources.
How Are Investors Evaluating Antisense Oligonucleotide Therapeutics for HBV?
Investors focus on:
- Clinical Differentiation – Degree of HBsAg suppression and safety profile.
- Intellectual Property Strength – Patent coverage on sequence and chemistry.
- Regulatory Pathway – Breakthrough designations and expedited reviews.
How Will AusperBio’s Clinical Trials Impact Patients and the Future of Chronic Hepatitis B Treatment?
Successful trials of AHB-137 promise to shift management from lifelong suppression to finite, curative regimens, reducing long-term complications and improving quality of life.
What Does a Functional Cure for Chronic Hepatitis B Mean for Patients?
A functional cure entails durable HBsAg loss and sustained viral DNA undetectability without continuous therapy. This outcome could eliminate the need for lifelong antivirals, decrease monitoring burden, and lower risks of cirrhosis and liver cancer.
How Is AusperBio Collaborating with Global Research and Medical Communities?
AusperBio partners with leading universities and hospital networks in Asia, Europe, and North America to share data, co-develop biomarkers, and publish findings at AASLD and EASL conferences. These collaborations strengthen scientific rigor and accelerate clinical insights.
What Are the Next Steps in AusperBio’s Therapeutic Pipeline Beyond AHB-137?
Following AHB-137, AusperBio plans to:
- Advance additional ASOs targeting HBV covalently closed circular DNA (cccDNA)
- Initiate programs for nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) leveraging liver-targeted delivery
- Explore ASO candidates for rare genetic liver disorders
This diversified pipeline builds on the Med-Oligo™ platform’s modular design to address multiple high-value indications.
Where Can You Find More Information About AusperBio Therapeutics and Its Clinical Progress?
For real-time updates on AHB-137 trials, investors and researchers can monitor official scientific publications and conference presentations.
How to Follow Updates on AHB-137 Clinical Trials and Scientific Publications?
Clinical trial registries publish protocol details, while peer-reviewed journals and conference abstracts (AASLD, EASL) report efficacy and safety data. Subscribing to medical newsletters provides timely alerts on emerging results.
What Are the Best Channels to Learn About AusperBio’s Funding and Investor Relations?
Investors can review press releases in biotech news outlets and regulatory filings for detailed funding round announcements. Industry reports from life-sciences analysts offer insights into valuation and strategic partnerships.
How Does AusperBio Maintain Transparency and Scientific Authority in Biotech?
AusperBio publishes trial designs and preliminary outcomes, engages with regulatory agencies for open dialogue, and shares preprint data on public repositories. This commitment to openness fosters trust among patients, physicians, and investors.
AusperBio’s $73 million Series B milestone and advancing AHB-137 trials underscore a pivotal moment in therapy development. By combining cutting-edge ASO science with strategic global collaborations, AusperBio aims to transform the treatment paradigm and bring a functional cure to millions affected by chronic hepatitis B.