Signals from US President Joe Biden that the prosecution of Julian Assange could be dropped have been described as "encouraging" by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.

Asked if he had a response to Australian requests to end the US government's pursuit of the Wikileaks founder over the release of classified documents, Biden said: "We are considering it".

US prosecutors want to try Assange on 18 counts, mainly under the Espionage Act, over WikiLeaks' release in 2010 of confidential US military records and diplomatic cables.

Albanese said the president's response was a positive sign in the campaign to get the charges against the Australian dropped.

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