DURHAM, N.C.– Precision BioSciences, Inc. (Nasdaq: DTIL), a clinical-stage gene editing company developing in vivo therapies using its proprietary ARCUS platform, announced the opening of its first U.S. clinical trial site for the ELIMINATE-B Phase 1 study evaluating PBGENE-HBV for chronic hepatitis B. The site, located at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, is now actively recruiting patients.
“Chronic hepatitis B remains one of the most pressing global health challenges, with millions at risk of liver disease progression, cirrhosis, and cancer,” said Cindy Atwell, Chief Development and Business Officer at Precision BioSciences. “We are excited to open enrollment at Massachusetts General Hospital, a world leader in hepatitis research and clinical trials. This milestone marks an important step in expanding the ELIMINATE-B study to patients in the United States. We remain on track to share further data from higher dose cohorts in 2025.”
The ELIMINATE-B Phase 1 trial is an open-label, multi-part study designed to evaluate the safety and tolerability of PBGENE-HBV. The goal is to determine the optimal dose, number of administrations, and dosing intervals needed to achieve complete viral elimination in patients with chronic hepatitis B.
Investigators at Massachusetts General Hospital, affiliated with Harvard Medical School, are now enrolling patients. The team expressed enthusiasm for evaluating PBGENE-HBV, a novel gene-editing approach that directly targets hepatitis B virus DNA at its source, offering the potential for a functional cure.
