Tekmira Pharmaceuticals (TKMR) is shifting focus after years of up-and-down development, planning to change its name to
Arbutus Biopharma (ABUS) and focus on drugs to treat hepatitis B.
- The Canadian biotech will do business as Arbutus Biopharma come Aug. 6, 2015.
- Headquarters: Burnaby, Canada
- Founded: 2007
Tekmira caught the world's attention and its stock rose dramatically during the 2013 West African Ebola virus epidemic due to its drug candidate for Ebola fever, TKM-Ebola. Tekmira was developing it under a $140 million US Department of Defense contract.
While its stock was trading high in January 2015, it acquired OnCore BioPharma, a company focused on hepatitis B.
Development of TKM-Ebola was terminated in mid June 2015 during a Phase II trial, for lack of efficacy.
The next month, Tekmira changed its name to Arbutus Biopharma.
