• SKIP TO CONTENT
  • SKIP NAVIGATION
  • Patient Resources
    • COVID-19 Patient Resource Center
    • Clinical Trials
    • Search Clinical Trials
    • Patient Notification System
    • What is Clinical Research?
    • Volunteering for a Clinical Trial
    • Understanding Informed Consent
    • Useful Resources
    • FDA Approved Drugs
  • Professional Resources
    • Research Center Profiles
    • Clinical Trial Listings
    • Market Research
    • FDA Approved Drugs
    • Training Guides
    • Books
    • eLearning
    • Events
    • Newsletters
    • JobWatch
    • White Papers
    • SOPs
    • eCFR and Guidances
  • White Papers
  • Trial Listings
  • Advertise
  • COVID-19
  • iConnect
  • Sign In
  • Create Account
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
Home » Tekmira changes name to Arbutus Biopharma, a hepatitis B solutions company

Tekmira changes name to Arbutus Biopharma, a hepatitis B solutions company

July 22, 2015
CenterWatch Staff

Tekmira Pharmaceuticals, headquartered in Vancouver, Canada, plans to change its corporate name to Arbutus Biopharma, a therapeutic solutions company focused on developing a cure for chronic hepatitis B virus infection (HBV), to be effective on or before Aug. 3. The name change affirms the successful integration of OnCore BioPharma and Tekmira Pharmaceuticals into a combined company with the singular goal of delivering a cure for chronic HBV. The combined entity currently fields a large portfolio of HBV product candidates in the industry.

The combined company is led by:

  • Mark J. Murray, Ph.D., president and CEO; formerly of Protiva, Zymogentics and Xcyte Therapeutics;
  • Patrick T. Higgins, chief business officer; co-founder of OnCore BioPharma; formerly of Pharmasset and Roche;
  • Bruce Cousins, chief financial officer; formerly of Aspreva and Johnson & Johnson;
  • Michael J. Sofia, Ph.D., chief scientific officer; co-founder of OnCore BioPharma; formerly of Pharmasset (inventor of sofosbuvir for hepatitis C), Bristol-Myers Squibb and Eli Lilly;
  • William T. Symonds, Pharm.D., chief development officer; formerly of Gilead Sciences, Pharmasset (clinical developer of sofosbuvir for hepatitis C) and GlaxoSmithKline;
  • Mark Kowalski, M.D., chief medical officer; formerly of Gilead Sciences, YM BioSciences and Viventia Biotechnologies;
  • Peter Lutwyche Ph.D., chief technology officer, formerly of Protiva, QLT and Inex Pharmaceuticals.

The company believes the solution to HBV lies in combination therapies. The development strategy of Tekmira is to first establish safety and activity of individual product candidates, followed by rapid progression to small cohort combination studies (with multiple products) to identify the most promising regimens. A key feature of this strategy is the planned speed of evaluation of different combinations, doses and treatment durations—a strategy previously used by this leadership team at Pharmasset in developing sofosbuvir for HCV.

Tekmira's broad pipeline of HBV product candidates, which will be further expanded through business development activity, will enable the company to rapidly advance the best product candidates and combination regimens and discontinue product development investment where it is no longer justified.

Tekmira also is announcing the formation of a discrete business unit to manage, develop and maximize the value of Tekmira's non-HBV assets. The division includes preclinical RNAi product candidates, IP and related know how of the lipid nanoparticle (LNP) delivery technology platform, and multiple strategic partnerships exploiting the LNP technology. The business unit will be independently financed and has a dedicated management team led by Dr. Michael Abrams, managing director, who was formerly CEO of AnorMed. The development activities related to TKM-Ebola will be suspended and a joint re-evaluation of the development contract with the U.S. Department of Defense is under way. The management team of the new business unit will evaluate strategic alternatives for this asset.

Upcoming Events

  • 24May

    Powering an Effective Oversight Strategy with Clinical and Operational Insights

  • 25May

    2022 WCG Avoca Quality & Innovation Summit: Own the Future

  • 28Jun

    Effective Root Cause Analysis and CAPA Investigations for the Life Sciences

  • 16Oct

    WCG MAGI's Clinical Research Hybrid Conference - 2022 West

Featured Products

  • Spreadsheet Validation: Tools and Techniques to Make Data in Excel Compliant

    Spreadsheet Validation: Tools and Techniques to Make Data in Excel Compliant

  • Surviving an FDA GCP Inspection

    Surviving an FDA GCP Inspection: Resources for Investigators, Sponsors, CROs and IRBs

Featured Stories

  • Protocol-360x240.png

    Avoid Deviations by Making Protocol Review a Team Effort

  • SelectionProcess-360x240.png

    Give Us a Voice: Sites Clamor for a Say on Vendor Selection

  • Convince-360x240.png

    Use Data and Details to Convince Site Leadership to Add Staff

  • AsktheExpertsBadge-360x240.png

    Ask the Experts: Listing Trial Staff and Others on the Statement of Investigator

Standard Operating Procedures for Risk-Based Monitoring of Clinical Trials

The information you need to adapt your monitoring plan to changing times.

Learn More Here
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Do Not Sell My Personal Information

Footer Logo

300 N. Washington St., Suite 200, Falls Church, VA 22046, USA

Phone 617.948.5100 – Toll free 866.219.3440

Copyright © 2022. All Rights Reserved. Design, CMS, Hosting & Web Development :: ePublishing