New York, May 27, 2026, 14:52 (EDT)
- Atea shares added about 1.5% to $4.60 in Wednesday afternoon trading, moving higher while most biotech stocks also traded up.
- Atea Pharmaceuticals shared Phase 1 results at EASL showing its bemnifosbuvir/ruzasvir hepatitis C combo has low risk for drug-drug interactions.
- Phase 3 data are the next key events for the stock, with readouts expected in mid-2026 and around year-end 2026, according to the .
Atea Pharmaceuticals shares gained Wednesday as the antiviral drug maker put out new data, saying the results support using its experimental hepatitis C treatment alongside widely used medicines.
The stock, traded on Nasdaq, was recently at $4.60, up 7 cents, about 1.5%. It had moved between $4.49 and $4.66 during the day. Market cap was close to $364 million.
Atea is approaching key data for its lead program. Topline readout from the North American C-BEYOND Phase 3 study is slated for mid-2026, with ex-North America C-FORWARD results eyed for year-end. The update is relevant now with those timelines in view.
Atea reported Phase 1 results for its fixed-dose combo of bemnifosbuvir and ruzasvir, saying data showed a low risk for drug-drug interactions. According to Atea, this means one drug is unlikely to impact another’s effectiveness or elimination in the body. The company said these results back the combo’s use alongside omeprazole, a proton pump inhibitor, and rosuvastatin, a cholesterol therapy.
Atea CEO Jean-Pierre Sommadossi said in a release the Phase 1 data “reinforce” the potential of its regimen to make treatment easier. Sommadossi pointed to Atea’s market research finding that many U.S. hepatitis C patients already take multiple drugs at once, which can be tricky for doctors managing the disease. GlobeNewswire
Atea put out data for AT-587, its hepatitis E drug candidate, calling it a possible first-in-class direct-acting antiviral aimed right at the virus. The company said preclinical results showed strong potency in the lab and worked well in animals.
Biotech names traded higher. The SPDR S&P Biotech ETF picked up around 1.2% and the iShares Nasdaq Biotechnology ETF added about 0.6%. Atea’s gains were roughly in line with the sector as biotech stocks rallied in the afternoon.
Atea is running its Phase 3 trial against tough competition. The trial puts its regimen up against sofosbuvir/velpatasvir, Gilead Sciences’ Epclusa. AbbVie’s Mavyret is also a key hepatitis C drug for major genotypes.
Atea is pitching a shorter and easier regimen that keeps interaction risks low. Earlier Phase 2 results showed a 98% SVR12 rate for patients who stuck with treatment; SVR12 is no detectable hepatitis C virus 12 weeks after finishing therapy, the usual cure marker in these trials.
Sommadossi said 2026 is shaping up to be a “catalyst-rich year” for Atea, flagging two key Phase 3 readouts. The company finished March with $256.0 million in cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities, dropping from $301.8 million at December’s close, and posted a net loss of $45.4 million for the first quarter. Atea Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Risk looks clear: today’s interaction numbers aren’t product approvals. Atea in its latest quarterly filing said it still has no approved drugs and no product revenue since starting out. Atea also cautioned that bad trial results, regulatory delays, manufacturing problems or rivals’ hepatitis C drugs could hurt its chances fast.
Atea is aiming for a March 2027 new drug application to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, if its Phase 3 results work out. The stock’s direction is set more by the upcoming trial data than by Wednesday’s small move, with the trial results needing to stand out in a crowded hepatitis C field.
