Bowave Pharmaceuticals Announces First Patient Dosed in Phase 2b Clinical Trial of siRNA Candidate BW-20829 for Elevated Lp(a) in ASCVD Patients

Jan 27, 2026 08:00 CST Updated 08:00

Argo

RNAi Drug Developer

Argo Biopharma's siRNA Drug BW-20829 Completes First Patient Dosing in Phase 2b Clinical Trial

Shanghai, China and Boston, USA — January 26, 2026 —Argo Biopharma Co., Ltd. (referred to as "Argo"), a clinical-stage biotechnology company dedicated to developing a new generation of siRNA drugs, announced that its small nucleic acid candidate drug BW-20829 (also known as DII235) for adult patients with elevated Lp(a) and ASCVD has completed the first patient dosing in a global Phase 2b clinical trial led by Novartis. BW-20829 is one of the projects in Argo's R&D pipeline that has entered the mid-stage clinical trial phase, with an exclusive licensing cooperation agreement signed with Novartis to jointly advance development. As BW-20829 enters the Phase 2b clinical stage, Argo will receive milestone payments, which will support our ongoing R&D efforts in liver and extrahepatic disease areas.

Dr. Dongxu Shu, Co-founder, Chairman of the Board, and Chief Executive Officer of Argo BiopharmaStated: "We are thrilled that Novartis has advanced BW-20829 into Phase 2b clinical development. This significant progress not only reflects Argo's innovation and early clinical development capabilities but also demonstrates Novartis' scientific rigor and exceptional execution efficiency. Cardiovascular disease remains a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, and BW-20829 entering Phase 2b clinical trials marks a crucial step forward in addressing unmet cardiovascular treatment needs for patients."

BW-20829 is an siRNA therapy developed based on Argo's proprietary RADS™ platform, achieving potent and durable gene silencing through liver delivery while demonstrating differentiated safety and delivery characteristics. We will continue to advance our liver-targeted siRNA pipeline in the cardiovascular and specialty disease areas, while maintaining an early-stage research focus on extrahepatic siRNA across multiple tissue types and therapeutic fields. More information about the Phase 2b clinical study will be released on ClinicalTrials.gov after trial registration is completed.

Study Details | NCT07235046 | A Study of DII235 in Adults With Elevated Lipoprotein(a) |

web address：

https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT07235046?intr=DII235&rank=1

About Argo Biopharma

Argo Biopharma is a clinical-stage biotechnology company dedicated to developing a new generation of RNAi therapies, providing better treatment options for patients worldwide. The company leverages its liver-targeting and extrahepatic delivery technology platforms to build a diversified RNAi drug R&D pipeline covering cardiometabolic diseases, specialty diseases, viral infections, central nervous system disorders, and rare diseases. Currently, Argo Biopharma has six RNAi candidate drugs in clinical trials.