Akero just announced the results of its phase 2b Symmetry clinical trial of its FGF21 analog for F4 cirrhosis due to NASH/MASH and those results are just super. There is a long way to go but we may be seeing the first real evidence of direct treatment for advanced fibrotic disease.
These results represent a significant milestone in the development of treatments for NASH/MASH with compensated cirrhosis, showing both efficacy and safety in this difficult-to-treat patient population. Here is one example at 36 weeks. For those who don't know biopsy images the blue is the fibrosis that can kill the liver. The white spots are fat. At 36 weeks her liver has recovered.
Not all patients respond so well, of course, so what about the study as a whole. Here is the data through the 96 weeks of the trial. Note that about 75% of patients at the higher dose improved by at least 1 stage. That is a huge change. The risk of death at F4, an arbitrary scale here, is about 10 but it drops to about 4 at F3.
There is a long way to go before we can see a drug approved, think 2027 if things go well, but the fact that science is closing in on how to attack this scourge is very encouraging.
For those who haven't seen it yet, the 2024 edition of our Care Survey is ready. It gives a view of how patients experience liver disease over time, and how contact with medical care evolves. We are beginning to see changes in patient care that are encouraging as the education efforts of patients and physicians begin to show results. I invite you to click on the image below and take a look at the report.
Many people don't know what services are available to them in their local area. Finding those local resources in their local zip code is often a challenge. We are developing a tool to help with that. Just click on the link below: enter your local zip-code in the form: to explore the services available to you in your area.
