AB-101

AB-101 is an oral, small molecule programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) inhibitor developed by Arbutus Biopharma for the treatment of chronic hepatitis B virus (cHBV) infection. The drug is designed to reawaken and boost the immune system of patients with chronic hepatitis B by blocking the PD-1/PD-L1 immune checkpoint pathway, which is often exploited by the virus to induce immune tolerance and T-cell exhaustion. By inhibiting PD-L1, AB-101 aims to reinvigorate HBV-specific T-cells and promote viral clearance. As an oral small molecule, it is intended to provide controlled immune checkpoint blockade while potentially offering a better safety profile and more convenient administration compared to systemic checkpoint antibody therapies. AB-101 is being investigated as a key component of combination therapy regimens aimed at achieving a functional cure for cHBV.