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Assembly Biosciences Announces $30.1 Million Equity Investment and Accelerated Funding from Gilead to Advance Clinical Development Programs
ASMBAssembly Biosciences(ASMB) GlobeNewswire·2024-12-19 13:00

Core Insights - Assembly Biosciences, Inc. announced a 20.1millionequityinvestmentfromGileadSciences,increasingGileadsownershipstaketo29.920.1 million equity investment from Gilead Sciences, increasing Gilead's ownership stake to 29.9% [1][5] - The collaboration includes an additional 10 million in accelerated funding to support the development of Assembly Bio's antiviral pipeline, particularly for hepatitis D virus candidate ABI-6250 [1][6] - The funding and investment are expected to extend Assembly Bio's cash runway to mid-2026 [6] Funding and Investment Details - Gilead's equity investment will raise its ownership from approximately 19.9% to 29.9% [5] - The $10 million accelerated funding is part of option-related payments for ABI-6250 and will be credited against future payments under the collaboration agreement [5] - The amendment to the collaboration agreement adjusts the option timepoints and payment structure for ABI-6250 to support accelerated development strategies [3][5] Clinical Pipeline Progress - The funding will support the advancement of Assembly Bio's clinical pipeline for antiviral candidates targeting herpesviruses, hepatitis D virus, and hepatitis B virus [2] - Assembly Bio plans to release data from multiple ongoing clinical studies, including interim Phase 1b data for ABI-5366 expected in the first half of 2025 [2] - Since the collaboration began in October 2023, Assembly Bio has initiated clinical studies for four antiviral candidates [4] Strategic Implications - The additional investment is seen as a strengthening of Assembly Bio's balance sheet, allowing for key clinical data readouts in 2025 [4] - The updated clinical plan for ABI-6250 aims to significantly reduce the development timeline for the compound [4] - The collaboration highlights the collective efforts of both organizations to change the treatment paradigm for serious viral diseases [4]