Hepatology

This morning, Eli Lilly reported positive phase 2 results for its dual GLP-1 and GIP receptor agonist tirzepatide in patients with nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). In the SYNERGY-NASH trial, the therapy achieved NASH resolution without worsening fibrosis in 61.3% of patients. That is considerably higher than data for semaglutide. Picturing tirzepatide’s NASH resolution in a phase…

Emerging from stealth in late 2022, Palo Alto–based biopharma startup OrsoBio announced four development programs targeting severe metabolic disorders. The CEO and founder, Dr. Mani Subramanian and chief medical officer and head of development Dr. Rob Myers formerly worked at Gilead. Founded in 2020 with a quest to “try to modulate energy metabolism in severe…

Now the vice president and head of medical affairs at CymaBay Therapeutics, Mary Standen‘s passion for healthcare was sparked in her high school years when her mother was diagnosed with breast cancer. Though her mother eventually recovered, Standen was galvanized to help provide both emotional support and practical assistance, such as administering weekly injections. The…

Pathology-focused AI company PathAI will present findings on the use of machine learning (ML) to enhance the scoring of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) at the 2022 AASLD 2022 Liver Meeting. The AASLD 2022 Liver Meeting is Nov. 4–8 in Washington, D.C., where the  company will share five presentations. Boston-based PathAI developed four of them with pharmaceutical collaborators.  An…

Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals (NSDQ:ARWR) has signed an exclusive license agreement with GlaxoSmithKline (NYSE:GSK) related to Arrowhead’s experimental RNA interference (RNAi) therapeutic ARO-HSD. The drug is now the subject of a Phase 1/2 study focusing on the drug’s potential as a treatment for nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), which involves liver inflammation and can cause cirrhosis and liver failure.…

The biopharma Terns Pharmaceuticals (NSDQ:TERN) has appointed Dr. ​​Ann E. Taylor to its board of directors.  Taylor, who served as AstraZeneca‘s chief medical officer from April 2019 to August 2021, has more than 35 years of experience in drug development. Other notable companies she has worked for include Pfizer, Novartis and AstraZeneca subsidiary MedImmune.  Dr.…

Privately-held Ambys Medicines has announced that it has opened a 52,000-ft² facility dedicated to hepatocyte manufacturing. The facility is certified to current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMP) regulations. The company, based in South San Francisco, California, also presented data on its novel bioreactor manufacturing at the Joint Congress of the International Xenotransplantation Association, IXA-CTRMS-2021. Focused on…

Millions of Americans who are living with hepatitis C virus (HCV) will develop a chronic infection that, if left untreated, can cause serious health problems, including liver disease, cirrhosis, liver failure and liver cancer. More than one-third of HCV-infected individuals progress to advanced fibrosis and cirrhosis, and among those with cirrhosis, about 3–5% per year…

Natural treatment has an antibiotic-like effect on viruses; CBCD reports publication of a new clinical study of Gene-Eden-VIR/Novirin. Most drugs target symptoms. Antibiotics are different. Antibiotics target the cause of the disease, and as a result, cure the disease. Almost all other drugs, such as those that lower cholesterol or blood pressure, target symptoms. These…