Improvements in generating, purifying, and delivering RNA material, as well as addressing challenges with degradation by enzymes, have made the RNA class more attractive to drug developers.

GSK is the first to raise the functional cure rate with its antisense drug, Phase II data suggest, but the company is looking for ways to boost responses across hepatitis B patients in its Phase III study.

Companies such as Novartis, Roche or Takeda are heavily invested in the advanced therapeutics field, usually spreading their bets across multiple modalities. The remaining challenges offer opportunities for the next wave of innovation to transform the field once again and make a dent in the larger market of common diseases and solid tumors.

Partnerships between big pharma and biotech focused on biologic therapies for hepatitis B could reap the benefit of less competition as lone biotechs, such as Aligos, discontinue their candidates.