Ionis and GSK Share Pivotal Phase 3 Data for Bepirovirsen in Chronic Hepatitis B
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: Jan 07 2026
0mins
Should l Buy GSK?
Source: Benzinga
- Clinical Trial Success: Ionis and GSK's B-Well 1 and B-Well 2 studies, involving over 1,800 patients, demonstrated that bepirovirsen achieved a significantly higher functional cure rate compared to standard care, indicating its potential as the first six-month therapeutic option for chronic hepatitis B.
- Market Opportunity: With chronic hepatitis B affecting over 250 million people globally, the success of bepirovirsen could yield Ionis up to $150 million in regulatory and sales milestone payments, further solidifying its position in the biopharmaceutical sector.
- Good Safety Profile: The studies indicated that bepirovirsen has an acceptable safety and tolerability profile consistent with previous studies, enhancing its potential as a backbone for future treatment strategies, with regulatory submissions planned for the first quarter of 2026.
- Analyst Optimism: William Blair reiterated an
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Analyst Views on GSK
Wall Street analysts forecast GSK stock price to fall
6 Analyst Rating
1 Buy
2 Hold
3 Sell
Moderate Sell
Current: 58.540
Low
20.15
Averages
38.72
High
55.60
Current: 58.540
Low
20.15
Averages
38.72
High
55.60
About GSK
GSK plc is a biopharma company. The Company’s segments include Commercial Operations and Research and Development. Its portfolio and pipeline are focused on developing medicines and vaccines in four core therapeutic areas, which are the areas of human health it focuses on to prevent and treat disease: respiratory, immunology and inflammation; oncology; human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), and infectious diseases. Its specialty medicines prevent and treat diseases, from HIV to respiratory diseases, immune-mediated conditions like lupus, and cancer. Its vaccine portfolio includes over 20 vaccines to protect people from diseases and infections throughout their lives. General medicines include inhaled medicines for asthma and COPD to antibiotics. It develops and commercializes preclinical antibody-drug conjugate for Metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer. Its portfolio also includes Efimosfermin, a fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21) analog therapeutic in clinical development.
About the author
Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
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- Market Demand Potential: The Arexvy vaccine aims to prevent lower respiratory tract disease caused by respiratory syncytial virus, and given the serious impact of RSV on the elderly, its launch will meet the urgent market need for respiratory disease prevention in older adults, potentially leading to substantial market revenue.
- Technological Innovation: The vaccine combines recombinant RSV glycoprotein F with GSK's proprietary AS01E adjuvant to form a stabilized prefusion conformation, showcasing GSK's technological prowess in vaccine development and further solidifying its leadership position in the biopharmaceutical industry.
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- Clinical Trial Results: This approval is based on the Phase III MATINEE trial results, where Nucala demonstrated a clinically meaningful and statistically significant reduction in the annualized rate of moderate to severe COPD exacerbations compared to placebo.
- Market Potential: COPD affects over 390 million people globally, including around 40 million in Europe, and the approval of Nucala is expected to provide GSK with substantial revenue growth opportunities in this large market.
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