Assembly Biosciences to Wind-Down Microbiome Program

Assembly Biosciences will wind-down its microbiome program, enabling the company to prioritize resources and focus on the advancement of its pipeline of novel core inhibitors for chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV).

“Upon thoughtful consideration of our corporate strategy and strengths, we have made the difficult decision to wind-down our microbiome program in order to fully dedicate our resources and focus toward delivering a new class of novel HBV therapies to patients,” said John McHutchison, AO, MD, Chief Executive Officer and President. “We deeply appreciate the invaluable contributions of the microbiome team, who played an important role in establishing our robust research and manufacturing capabilities at Assembly Bio and were critical to the advancement of the broader scientific community’s understanding of diseases associated with the microbiome.”

While Assembly Bio will continue its ongoing review of potential strategic options for the microbiome program in the interim, absent an alternative, it expects to wind-down the microbiome program on or around January 31, 2021. This decision is not based on any efficacy, safety, or other data related to Assembly Bio’s microbiome programs.

Assembly Bio expects to be well resourced with the personnel and capital to advance its portfolio of HBV candidates, including multiple clinical development programs focused on novel core inhibitor therapies and preclinical programs exploring additional complimentary HBV targets. As of September 30, 2020, the company had cash, cash equivalents, and marketable securities totaling approximately $238M. This cash position is projected to fund planned operations into the second half of 2022.