Key Takeaways
- • AusperBio completed a $120 million Series C funding round led by an unnamed strategic investor, with participation from RA Capital Management and existing backers including HanKang Capital, Sherpa Capital, and Qiming Venture Partners, bringing total fundraising since 2024 to over $340 million.
- • Proceeds will fund commercialization preparations and the ongoing Phase III registrational trial for AHB-137, the company's lead candidate antisense oligonucleotide therapy targeting functional cure for chronic hepatitis B (CHB).
- • AHB-137 addresses a significant market opportunity: approximately 240 million people globally live with CHB, with 0.9 million new infections annually and 1.1 million deaths in 2024, yet current therapies only suppress viral replication and rarely achieve functional cure, requiring lifelong patient treatment.
- • AusperBio operates dual headquarters in Hangzhou, China and California, positioning the company to access both the world's largest CHB patient population and advanced US regulatory pathways; Phase III trials are underway in China following completion of global Phase I and multiple Phase II studies.
- • Dr. Guofeng Cheng, co-founder and CEO, characterized the financing as an "inflection point" as the company transitions from clinical development toward potential commercialization while advancing next-generation CHB therapeutics.
Summary
AusperBio, a near-commercial biopharmaceutical company with operations spanning Hangzhou, China and California, has secured $120 million in Series C financing to accelerate clinical and commercial development of its chronic hepatitis B pipeline. An undisclosed strategic investor led the round, with Boston-based RA Capital Management participating as a new investor alongside existing shareholders HanKang Capital, Sherpa Capital, InnoPinnacle Fund, Qiming Venture Partners, YuanBio Venture Capital, and CDH Investments. The capital raise brings AusperBio's total fundraising since 2024 to more than $340 million, reflecting significant institutional confidence in the company's therapeutic platform.
The proceeds will principally support advancement of AHB-137, the company's lead candidate antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) therapy, through its Phase III registrational program in China and into commercialization readiness. AHB-137 is designed to achieve functional cure for chronic hepatitis B—a distinction from current standard-of-care therapies that suppress viral replication but rarely eliminate the virus or achieve sustained off-treatment viral control, consigning patients to indefinite antiviral regimens. The candidate has completed global Phase I evaluation and multiple Phase II studies prior to the current Phase III trial initiation.
The therapeutic focus addresses a substantial unmet medical need. According to World Health Organization data through 2024, approximately 240 million people worldwide live with chronic hepatitis B, with 0.9 million new infections occurring annually. In 2024 alone, hepatitis B resulted in an estimated 1.1 million deaths, predominantly from cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma complications. Despite widespread access to suppressive therapy in developed markets, functional cure rates remain elusive with existing treatments, positioning novel mechanisms of action as strategically valuable for both patients and commercial stakeholders.
Dr. Guofeng Cheng, co-founder and CEO, described the financing as a critical "inflection point" for the company as it navigates the transition from clinical-stage development to commercialization while simultaneously building a next-generation pipeline of CHB therapeutics. The dual-geography operational model—combining China's patient population density and regulatory pathway with US-based clinical and commercial infrastructure—positions AusperBio to pursue concurrent development strategies across key geographic markets.
The proceeds will principally support advancement of AHB-137, the company's lead candidate antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) therapy, through its Phase III registrational program in China and into commercialization readiness. AHB-137 is designed to achieve functional cure for chronic hepatitis B—a distinction from current standard-of-care therapies that suppress viral replication but rarely eliminate the virus or achieve sustained off-treatment viral control, consigning patients to indefinite antiviral regimens. The candidate has completed global Phase I evaluation and multiple Phase II studies prior to the current Phase III trial initiation.
The therapeutic focus addresses a substantial unmet medical need. According to World Health Organization data through 2024, approximately 240 million people worldwide live with chronic hepatitis B, with 0.9 million new infections occurring annually. In 2024 alone, hepatitis B resulted in an estimated 1.1 million deaths, predominantly from cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma complications. Despite widespread access to suppressive therapy in developed markets, functional cure rates remain elusive with existing treatments, positioning novel mechanisms of action as strategically valuable for both patients and commercial stakeholders.
Dr. Guofeng Cheng, co-founder and CEO, described the financing as a critical "inflection point" for the company as it navigates the transition from clinical-stage development to commercialization while simultaneously building a next-generation pipeline of CHB therapeutics. The dual-geography operational model—combining China's patient population density and regulatory pathway with US-based clinical and commercial infrastructure—positions AusperBio to pursue concurrent development strategies across key geographic markets.
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