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 The drug, emricasan, was tested in 38 patients with non-alcoholic
fatty liver disease, including some sufferers of non-alcoholic
steatohepatitis (NASH), a more severe form of the condition, the
company said on Thursday.
NASH is the leading cause of liver-related morbidity and mortality,
but no pharmaceutical therapy currently exists for it.
Several drugmakers, including Gilead Sciences Inc, Intercept
Pharmaceuticals Inc and France's Genfit SA, are in the race to
develop treatments.
The study determined the drug's effectiveness by measuring
reductions in biomarkers associated with cell death and
inflammation, considered to be drivers of progressive liver disease.
The treatment had no adverse effects on lipid levels or insulin
sensitivity in these patients, who are typically at risk of
cardiovascular disease, Conatus said.
Emricasan is Conatus' most advanced drug-in-development and has been
evaluated for a number of liver indications. The treatment is
initially being developed for liver cirrhosis, or severe scarring
that may be caused by all manner of assaults on the liver.
Conatus estimates that about 2 million people in the United States
and five largest European markets have cirrhosis and varying degrees
of liver impairment.
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The company's stock closed at $5.76 on the Nasdaq on Wednesday.
(Reporting by Natalie Grover in Bengaluru; Editing by Simon
Jennings)
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