Assembly Biosciences (ASMB) Bank of America Global Healthcare Conference 2026 summary

Strategic focus and partnerships

• Focused on addressing unmet needs in serious viral illnesses, particularly HSV, hepatitis B, and hepatitis D, through R&D and partnerships, notably with Gilead Sciences.

• Four new molecules advanced to clinical stage in the past 2.5 years, with positive data generated for each.

• Two HSV programs optioned by Gilead based on strong Phase I-B data, with further value inflection points expected in the coming year.

Unmet needs and innovation in virology

• HSV lacks both prophylactic and therapeutic vaccines, and current antivirals leave significant efficacy gaps, with over two-thirds of patients failing chronic suppressive therapy.

• Hepatitis B and D have effective vaccines, but millions of infected patients lack curative therapies; bulevirtide is the only approved treatment for hepatitis D in the EU.

HSV program and clinical endpoints

• Clinically meaningful outcomes for HSV-2 include reduction in lesions, improved convenience, and decreased transmission risk.

• New molecules (1179 and 5366) are designed for weekly dosing, high potency, and good tolerability, aiming to address these patient needs.

• Phase I-B data showed strong results in lesion reduction, viral shedding, and high viral load shedding, prompting early Gilead licensing.