Latest news with #ChronicHepatitisB
Business Wire
13-05-2025
- Business
- Business Wire
Novotech Wins Citeline CRO Partnership of the Year Award for Strategic Collaboration with Tune Therapeutics
SYDNEY--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Novotech a globally recognized full-service clinical research organization (CRO) and scientific advisory company, is proud to announce it has been awarded the Citeline CRO Partnership of the Year Award in recognition of its collaboration with Tune Therapeutics, a pioneering epigenetic editing company. This honor celebrates the teams' partnership and sets a benchmark for CRO–biotech partnerships. Novotech and Tune Therapeutics' partnership focuses on a groundbreaking clinical trial program advancing an epigenetic therapy with the potential to revolutionize the treatment landscape for Chronic Hepatitis B. Share The CRO Partnership of the Year award honors outstanding collaboration between a CRO and a pharmaceutical or biotech company that has advanced clinical programs through strong alignment and shared goals. Sarah Anderson, Director of Therapeutic Strategy, and Steve Roan, Associate Director of Business Development, accepted the award on behalf of Novotech at the Citeline Awards ceremony held on May 8, 2025, in Boston. Katie Tarashuck, Vice President of Finance at Tune Therapeutics, attended as a partner representative. Novotech and Tune Therapeutics' partnership focuses on a groundbreaking clinical trial program advancing an epigenetic therapy with the potential to revolutionize the treatment landscape for Chronic Hepatitis B (CHB). The partnership combines Novotech's regulatory, operational, and therapeutic expertise with Tune's innovative scientific platform and agile development strategy. 'This recognition from Citeline reflects not only the strength of our partnership with Tune Therapeutics but also the dedication of our global teams to help bring novel therapies to patients faster,' said Dr. John Moller, CEO of Novotech. 'We are honored to collaborate with visionary biotech companies like Tune and look forward to continuing to deliver clinical excellence across the development spectrum.' 'Tune is delighted to receive this partnership award with Novotech," said Dr. Heidi Zhang, Chief Development Officer at Tune Therapeutics. "Together, we have achieved a global first in bringing this epigenome editing therapy to the clinic, and new hope to over 250 million people living with CHB worldwide.' The award acknowledges Novotech's ability to align closely with biotech partners, applying its regulatory and therapeutic expertise to support the effective delivery of clinical trials across varied global settings. 'The strength of this collaboration,' added Dr. Zhang, 'lies in our shared commitment to transparency, willingness to confront challenges directly, and ability to act quickly and effectively as one team.' About Novotech Novotech is a globally recognized full-service clinical research organization (CRO) and scientific advisory company trusted by biotech and small- to mid-sized pharmaceutical companies to guide drug development at every phase. With a global footprint that includes 30+ offices across the Asia-Pacific region, North America, and Europe and partnerships with 5,000+ trial sites, Novotech provides clients an accelerated path to bring life-changing therapies to market by providing access to key clinical trial destinations and diverse patient populations. Through its client-centric service model, Novotech seamlessly integrates people, processes, and technologies to deliver customized solutions that accelerate the path to market for life-changing therapies. By adopting a true partnership approach, Novotech shares a steadfast commitment to client success, empowering innovation, and advancing healthcare worldwide. Recipient of numerous industry accolades, including the Frost & Sullivan CRO Company of the Year award for 19 consecutive years, Novotech is recognized for its excellence in clinical trial execution and innovation. Its deep therapeutic and regulatory expertise, combined with local market insights, ensures streamlined clinical trials, optimized data analytics, and accelerated patient recruitment strategies. Together with clients, Novotech transforms scientific advancements into therapies that improve global health outcomes, embodying a mission of driving innovation and delivering impactful results. For more information or to speak to an expert team member visit epigenome editing or genetic tuning) that enables the targeted control of gene expression without cutting or resequencing DNA. Armed with its powerful and innovative genetic tuning platform (TEMPO), Tune Therapeutics aims to bring gene, cell, and regenerative therapies into a new era of human medicine – expanding their range of application to common and chronic diseases.
Forbes
28-03-2025
- Health
- Forbes
Exploring Unmet Needs In Chronic Hepatitis B: Understanding The Disease, Its Impact And The Potential Of Functional Cure
Chronic Hepatitis B: The Hidden Health Threat Chronic hepatitis B (CHB) is a long-term infection of the liver caused by the hepatitis B virus (HBV). While acute hepatitis B infection is often resolved by the immune system, CHB occurs when the body's defenses are unable to eliminate the virus, allowing it to persist in the blood and liver. Getty Individuals with CHB are at an increased risk of severe liver complications, including cirrhosis, liver cancer and the potential need for a liver transplant. It remains a major global health concern, affecting approximately 254 million people worldwide.1 Yet only about 13% of those1 have been diagnosed, and just 3% receive treatment.1 Each year, more than one million people with CHB die due to complications from the infection.1 In recent years many countries, including those in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region, have made significant progress in reducing the impact of CHB through the introduction of a hepatitis B vaccine administered to babies at birth. Although this has resulted in fewer younger people being infected, the many millions of individuals who were infected with HBV before the vaccine became widely available remain at high risk of CHB.2 Worldwide, the APAC region bears the highest overall burden of HBV, accounting for more than a quarter (26%) of new infections and almost four out of every five (79%) deaths.3 The Biology Behind CHB CHB poses a unique challenge due to its ability to evade the immune system making it particularly difficult to treat. HBV embeds its DNA into the host's liver cells, allowing it to become a permanent presence, while hijacking the cell's own processes to continue replicating.4 This cunning strategy allows the virus to persist in the body, unnoticed by the immune system. Consequently, CHB is more difficult to treat than other viral infections, such as hepatitis C, which does not integrate into a host's DNA in the same way.4 The biology of HBV also complicates efforts to eradicate the virus from the body completely, making the development of effective treatments especially challenging.5 Current treatments for CHB primarily focus on suppressing the level of the virus in the body.6 Antiviral medications can reduce the viral load and help manage the infection, decreasing the risk of liver damage. However, they do not completely eliminate the virus from the body, as the integrated viral DNA remains within the liver cells.6 The Need for Innovation in CHB Melanie Paff VP, Medicine Development Leader GSK Currently CHB requires patients to adhere to a long-term treatment option to manage their condition, which poses a burden for some people.7,8,9 'Most people living with CHB require lifelong therapy with daily medication because HBV infection typically rebounds if antiviral therapy is stopped,' explains Melanie Paff VP, Medicine Development Leader HBV Program at GSK. 'Given this, there is an urgent need for innovative options that can offer lasting solutions for patients without the burden of continuous medication.' CHB also profoundly affects people's well-being and quality of life. Those with CHB often grapple with fear and anxiety about their health and the possibility that their disease will progress despite treatment.10 Furthermore, the stigma associated with CHB can lead to social withdrawal and isolation, as individuals fear judgment and discrimination from society.10 These challenges are evident in published research showing that up to one in five people with CHB worry about being denied healthcare because of their condition and almost one third (up to 30%) are concerned about facing discrimination in the workplace, which can lead to financial insecurity and loss.11 Cultural attitudes toward CHB further complicate the lives of those affected, particularly in the APAC region. In some southeast Asian communities, up to 58% of individuals with CHB thought their illness would 'bring trouble to their family', compared with 34% of uninfected people.10 This cultural perception exacerbates feelings of guilt and shame, intensifying the psychological burden faced by those with CHB. Improving Functional Cure Jane Dong, Clinical Research Physician GSK Current treatments for CHB primarily aim to suppress HBV. However, researchers are working toward improving rates of 'functional cure' which is achieved when levels of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) and HBV DNA become low enough to be undetectable in the blood and liver, eliminating the need for continuous medication.6,12 This means that the infection is being controlled by the person's own immune system.12 A functional cure does not completely eliminate HBV from the body. Rather, it provides protection against the most severe outcomes of CHB.6 People who achieve a functional cure have freedom from the burden of daily medications, can experience an improved quality of life and reduce their risk of liver cancer.6 'Achieving functional cure could allow people to live without the constraints of daily medication, empowering them to lead healthier, more independent lives,' says Jane Dong, a clinical research physician at GSK. 'Pursuing functional cure as a treatment goal, and seeking to further increase a patient's chances of achieving this important outcome, represents a promising frontier in the science of CHB. It signifies a shift toward managing the disease in a way that is long-lasting and that prioritizes patient autonomy and well-being.' The pursuit of higher functional cure rates for CHB has the potential to revolutionize care and improve the lives of millions of people worldwide who are living with this life-long condition. Continued innovation and collaboration by the scientific community provides the opportunity for progress towards that goal.
