Full Press Release Details
Vaccitech Renames as Barinthus Biotherapeutics
to Highlight Strategic Evolution into a T Cell Immunotherapy Company Targeting Chronic Infectious Diseases, Autoimmunity and Cancer
Corporate Brand to be Unveiled at AASLD Liver Meeting 2023 with Interim Data
OXFORD, United Kingdom, Nov. 06, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) - Barinthus
Biotherapeutics plc (NASDAQ: BRNS), formerly Vaccitech plc (NASDAQ: VACC), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing novel
T cell immunotherapeutic candidates designed to guide the immune system to overcome chronic infectious diseases, autoimmunity and cancer
will present data from its Phase 2 Hepatitis B trials of VTP-300 at The American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD)
- The Liver Meeting 2023, November 10-14 in Boston, MA.
The company also announced today that it has changed its name to Barinthus
Biotherapeutics plc to represent the evolution and expansion of its focus beyond vaccines. The company expects to begin trading under
its new name and ticker (Nasdaq: BRNS) effective as of November 7, 2023. As part of the rebranding, the company has also updated its
website -- learn more at www.barinthusbio.com.
"The company has evolved and expanded since being spun out of
the University of Oxford. Whereas we began as a vaccine company having been involved in flu vaccines and then the co-invention and early
development of Vaxzevria, the AstraZeneca/Oxford COVID-19 vaccine and the development of other prophylactic vaccines," said Bill
Enright, Chief Executive Officer of Barinthus Biotherapeutics. "Today the company is focused on the development of novel T cell
immunotherapeutic candidates, which evolved out of that initial vaccine research. We believe that guiding the capabilities of T cells
using our proprietary platform technologies provides broader developmental opportunities with a huge potential to eventually impact patients'
lives. We are excited to continue into the next chapter of the company's story - as Barinthus Biotherapeutics."
The company's new name takes inspiration from "Barinthus,"
the mythological navigator who guided King Arthur of Britain by ship to the island of Avalon to be healed when he was wounded. The story
of the legendary king being wounded and being guided to a place of healing where he continues to live is mirrored in our proprietary platforms
and technology that are designed to guide the immune system to treat infectious diseases, autoimmunity and cancer.
Data presentations at The Liver Meeting:
Late-Breaking Abstract Acceptance1:
Title: Preliminary Pharmacodynamics and Safety of Repeat Dosing
of Imdusiran (AB-729) Followed by VTP-300 or Placebo in Virally-Suppressed, Non-Cirrhotic Subjects with Chronic Hepatitis B (CHB)
Authors: Yuen MF, Agarwal K, Roberts SK, Lo GH, Hsu CW, Chuang
WL, Chen CY, Su PY, Galhenage S, Yang SS, Antoniello D, Thi E, O'Brien S, Bussey L, Medvedeva E, Eley T, Patel D, Varughese T, Espiritu
C, Ganchua S, Iott C, Anderson M, Fortney T, Cloherty G, Evans T, Sims K
1 Clinical collaboration with Arbutus Biopharma Corporation.
Regular Abstract Acceptance:
Abstract Number: 46173
Title: A Phase 2b, Open-Label Study to Evaluate the Efficacy,
Safety, Tolerability, Immunogenicity and Treatment Regimens of VTP-300 Combined with Low-Dose Nivolumab (LDN) in Chronic Hepatitis B Infection.
Presentation Type: Oral Presentation
Session: Hepatitis B: New Therapies for HBV and HDV
Presentation Time: Sunday, November 12, 09:15 ET
Authors: Yuen MF, Chuang WL, Avihingsanon A, Lim S, Mukherjee
D, Radka K, Bussey l, Evans T, Tait D
Data Summary: VTP-300 has previously demonstrated meaningful
and durable HBsAg reductions in patients with HBV as a monotherapy and in combination with LDN in a Phase 1b/2a study. Evaluating repeat
dosing of Modified Vaccinia Ankara (MVA)-HBV and the timing of PD-1 inhibitor administration in patients with chronic Hepatitis B is an
important piece to optimizing the regimen of VTP-300, which may be a critical component of a functional cure regimen.
Both presentations will be available on Barinthus Biotherapeutic's
website following their release at AASLD.
VTP-300 is an investigational immunotherapeutic candidate consisting
of an initial dose using the ChAdOx platform and a secondary dose(s) using MVA, both encoding multiple Hepatitis B antigens, including
full-length surface, modified polymerase and core antigens. VTP-300 is the first antigen-specific immunotherapy that has been shown to
induce sustained reductions in HBsAg. Barinthus Biotherapeutics is studying VTP-300 in combination with other agents, including siRNA
and low-dose anti-PD-1 antibodies, to control the infection and counterbalance the immune suppression and T cell exhaustion in the liver
caused by chronic HBV.
About Hepatitis B Virus (HBV)
Globally it is estimated that there are more than 300 million people,
including up to 2.4 million in the U.S. and 14 million in Europe, living with chronic HBV infection, with the highest prevalence in East
Asia and Africa. Approximately 820,000 people die each year from HBV and related complications, such as liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular
carcinoma. Due to low HBV diagnosis rates of about 10.5% aware of their infection coupled with strict treatment eligibility guidelines,
only 6.6 million (2.2%) people with chronic HBV are receiving treatment and less than 10% will achieve a functional cure with existing
About Barinthus Biotherapeutics
Barinthus Biotherapeutics is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company
developing novel T cell immunotherapeutic candidates designed to guide the immune system to overcome chronic infectious diseases, autoimmunity,
and cancer. Helping people living with serious diseases and their families is the guiding principle at the heart of Barinthus Biotherapeutics.
With a broad pipeline, built around four proprietary platform technologies: ChAdOx, MVA, SNAP-TI, and SNAP-CI; Barinthus Biotherapeutics
is advancing a pipeline of five product candidates across a diverse range of therapeutic areas, including: VTP-300, an immunotherapeutic
candidate designed as a potential component of a functional cure for chronic HBV infection; VTP-200, a non-surgical product candidate
for persistent high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV); VTP-1000, an autoimmune candidate designed to utilize the SNAP-TI platform to treat
patients with celiac disease; VTP-850, a second-generation immunotherapeutic candidate designed to treat recurrent prostate cancer; and
VTP-1100, a preclinical cancer candidate designed to utilize the SNAP-CI platform to treat patients with HPV-related cancer. Barinthus
Biotherapeutics' proven scientific expertise, diverse portfolio and focus on pipeline development uniquely positions the company
to navigate towards delivering treatments for people with infectious diseases, autoimmunity and cancers that have a significant impact
on their everyday lives. For more information, visit www.barinthusbio.com.
Forward Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements, within
the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, as amended, which can generally be identified as such by use of
the words "may," "will," "plan," "forward," "encouraging,"
"believe," "potential," and similar expressions, although not all forward-looking statements contain these
identifying words. These forward-looking statements include, without limitation, express or implied statements regarding: the
company's plans and strategy with respect to its pipeline and product candidates, including VTP-300 and the HBV003 clinical
trial, and the potential benefits of VTP-300 for the treatment of chronic HBV, and the company's plan to change its name and
ticker. Any forward-looking statements in this press release are based on management's current expectations and beliefs and
are subject to numerous risks, uncertainties and important factors that may cause actual events or results to differ materially from
those expressed or implied by any forward-looking statements contained in this press release, including, without limitation, risks
and uncertainties related to the success, cost and timing of the Company's pipeline development activities and planned and
ongoing clinical trials, the company's ability to execute on its strategy, regulatory developments, the risk that the company
may not realize the benefits related to its rebranding and name change, the company's ability to fund its operations and
access capital, global economic uncertainty, including disruptions in the banking industry, the conflict in Ukraine, and the conflict in Israel and Gaza, and other risks identified in the
company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"), including its Annual Report on Form
10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022, its Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and subsequent filings with the SEC. The Company
cautions you not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date they are made. The
Company expressly disclaims any obligation to publicly update or revise any such statements to reflect any change in expectations or
in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statements may be based, or that may affect the likelihood that actual
results will differ from those set forth in the forward-looking statements.
Christopher M. Calabrese
Barinthus Biotherapeutics