Q2 total revenue of $10.7M includes previously-deferred revenue following reacquisition of Greater China rights to imdusiran

Dr. Roger Sawhney joins the Arbutus Board of Directors following resignation of Anuj Hasija

Dr. Harry Janssen joins the Arbutus Scientific Advisory Board

Strong financial position with cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities of $98.1M

WARMINSTER, Pa., Aug. 06, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Arbutus Biopharma Corporation (NASDAQ:ABUS) (“Arbutus” or the “Company”), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on infectious disease, today reported second quarter 2025 financial results and provided a corporate update.

“We delivered a strong quarter, marked by positive quarterly earnings resulting from the conclusion of our Greater China partnership with Qilu,” said Lindsay Androski, President and CEO of Arbutus. “Once again holding global rights for imdusiran, and launching a late-stage clinically focused Scientific Advisory Board, were two important steps taken this quarter in our quest to drive long-term value through our chronic hepatitis B virus (cHBV) programs.”

“I am excited to announce that Dr. Harry Janssen of Erasmus MC in Rotterdam has joined our Scientific Advisory Board, bringing his unparalleled knowledge and experience in late-stage clinical trials in cHBV,” Ms. Androski continued. “Today, the Company also congratulates Anuj Hasija on his appointment as Vice President, Global Commercial Strategy for Type 1 Diabetes at Vertex. Anuj has stepped down from the Arbutus Board in order to focus exclusively on this new role, and on behalf of the Company and the entire Board, I thank Anuj for his service. We are also excited to welcome Dr. Roger Sawhney as the newest member of our Board. Dr. Sawhney has enjoyed a distinguished career spanning senior executive roles in biotech, pharma and investing, and also brings extensive public company board experience.”

LNP Litigation

  • Arbutus continues to consult closely with and support our exclusive licensee, Genevant Sciences, to protect and defend Arbutus’s intellectual property, which is the subject of on-going lawsuits against Moderna and Pfizer/BioNTech. The Company, together with Genevant, is seeking fair compensation for Moderna’s and Pfizer/BioNTech’s use of Arbutus’s patented LNP technology that was developed with great effort and at a great expense, and without which Moderna’s and Pfizer/BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccines would not have been successful.
  • In the Moderna U.S. litigation, fact discovery has been completed, and expert discovery is concluding. The summary judgment phase of the case began in July 2025 and a jury trial is scheduled to be held in March 2026. Additionally, in July 2025, the case was reassigned to a different judge in the same court. In March 2025, the Company, alongside Genevant Sciences, filed five international lawsuits against Moderna and its affiliates seeking to enforce patents protecting the Company’s patented LNP technology across 30 countries. The first major hearings in the international lawsuits are expected in the first half of calendar year 2026.
  • The claim construction hearing for the lawsuit against Pfizer/BioNTech occurred in December 2024. The court has not provided guidance for the timing of its ruling in the claim construction hearing, which could potentially come in 2025.

Corporate Updates

  • In June 2025, the Company and Qilu Pharmaceutical mutually agreed to conclude the strategic partnership for the development, manufacturing, and commercialization of imdusiran in Greater China. The Company now once again holds global rights for its lead compound, imdusiran.
  • Dr. Harry L.A. Janssen, MD, PhD, joined the Company’s Scientific Advisory Board effective August 1, 2025, increasing the membership to six global experts in cHBV treatment. Dr. Janssen is a Professor of Hepatology and the Chair of the Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology at Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
  • Effective August 4, 2025, Anuj Hasija resigned from the Company’s Board of Directors due to his transition to a full-time executive role that precludes his participation on the Arbutus and other boards of directors.
  • Filling the vacancy on our Board of Directors, Dr. Roger Sawhney, MD, joined the Board effective August 4, 2025. Dr. Sawhney is a seasoned executive and board member with extensive experience across biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, healthcare technology, and investment sectors. He holds an MD from Harvard Medical School and a BA in Economics from Stanford University.

Financial Results

Cash, Cash Equivalents and Investments

As of June 30, 2025, the Company had cash, cash equivalents and investments in marketable securities of $98.1 million compared to $122.6 million as of December 31, 2024. During the six months ended June 30, 2025, the Company used $29.1 million in operating activities, which included one-time payments related to our restructuring efforts. This was partially offset by $3.1 million of proceeds from the exercise of employee stock options.

Revenue

Total revenue was $10.7 million for the quarter ended June 30, 2025, compared to $1.7 million for the same period in 2024. The increase of $9.0 million was primarily due to the recognition of all previously-deferred revenue as a result of the conclusion of the Company’s strategic partnership with Qilu Pharmaceutical, partially offset by a decrease in license royalty revenues due to a decline in Alnylam’s sales of ONPATTRO.

Operating Expenses

Research and development expenses were $5.5 million for the quarter ended June 30, 2025 compared to $15.6 million for the same period in 2024. The decrease of $10.1 million was due primarily to cost savings from the Company’s decision in August 2024 to streamline the organization to focus its efforts on advancing the clinical development of imdusiran and AB-101, which included ceasing all discovery efforts, discontinuing its IM-PROVE III clinical trial and reducing the Company’s workforce.

General and administrative expenses were $3.3 million for the quarter ended June 30, 2025, compared to $7.5 million for the same period in 2024. This decrease was due primarily to cost cutting efforts by the Company, which drove reductions in litigation-related legal fees and employee compensation-related expenses.

Restructuring costs in the quarter ended June 30, 2025 were $0.2 million, and all remaining restructuring-related payments are expected to be made in the second half of 2025.

Net Income/Loss

For the quarter ended June 30, 2025, the Company’s net income was $2.5 million, or income of $0.01 per basic and diluted common share, as compared to a net loss of $19.8 million, or a loss of $0.11 per basic and diluted common share, for the quarter ended June 30, 2024.

Outstanding Shares

As of June 30, 2025, the Company had 191.6 million common shares issued and outstanding, as well as 15.2 million stock options and unvested restricted stock units outstanding.

 
UNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME AND LOSS
(in thousands, except share and per share data)
 
  Three Months Ended June 30,   Six Months Ended June 30,
    2025       2024       2025       2024  
Revenue              
Collaborations and licenses $ 10,213     $ 1,155     $ 11,529     $ 2,094  
Non-cash royalty revenue   526       571       974       1,164  
Total Revenue   10,739       1,726       12,503       3,258  
Operating expenses              
Research and development   5,498       15,551       14,457       30,954  
General and administrative   3,328       7,547       9,160       12,859  
Change in fair value of contingent consideration   260       211       559       391  
Restructuring costs   165             12,538        
Total operating expenses   9,251