USA—AusperBio Therapeutics and Ausper Biopharma have raised US$120 million in a Series C financing round to advance their pipeline of therapies for chronic hepatitis B (CHB), including the lead candidate AHB 137.
An undisclosed strategic investor led the financing, with new investor RA Capital Management and existing investors HanKang Capital, Qiming Venture Partners and CDH Investments also participating.
The latest funding brings AusperBio’s total capital raised since 2024 to US$360 million.
Funding to advance AHB 137
AusperBio will use a significant portion of the proceeds to advance AHB 137, an antisense oligonucleotide therapy for CHB, through its Phase III registrational programme and toward potential commercialisation.
The company is also preparing to commercialise AHB 137 as it progresses through late-stage clinical testing.
The candidate is currently being evaluated in a Phase III trial in China following earlier Phase I studies conducted globally and several Phase II studies.
AHB 137 is designed to reduce hepatitis B surface antigen production and inhibit viral DNA replication.
By targeting these mechanisms, the therapy is intended to help restore the immune response against hepatitis B and potentially achieve a functional cure.
AusperBio co-founder and Chief Executive Officer Dr Guofeng Cheng said the financing would help the company move AHB 137 closer to commercialisation while expanding its pipeline of next-generation CHB therapies.
“We are grateful for the continued confidence of our existing investors and pleased to welcome RA Capital to AusperBio,” Cheng said.
Pipeline expansion
The financing will also support the development of AHB 171, a hepatocyte-targeted small interfering ribonucleic acid, or siRNA, therapy.
The candidate is the first clinical programme to use AusperBio’s Au HALO liver targeting delivery platform.
AHB 171 is designed to selectively suppress viral gene expression in liver cells.
AusperBio also plans to use the new funding to explore next-generation combination therapies that could target different stages of hepatitis B infection and improve prospects for a functional cure.
The company is developing targeted oligonucleotide therapies and delivery technologies, initially focusing on CHB while exploring opportunities to expand its platform into other disease areas.
AHB 137 receives breakthrough designation
AusperBio secured breakthrough therapy designation in China for AHB 137 in July 2024.
The designation applies to the investigational treatment for CHB and supports its development as the company advances the candidate through late-stage clinical testing.
CHB remains a major global health challenge and can cause serious liver complications, including cirrhosis and liver cancer.
AusperBio is positioning its oligonucleotide platform to develop treatments that address viral replication and immune responses, with the goal of achieving a functional cure rather than long-term viral suppression alone.
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