Akero Therapeutics up as fatty liver drug reduces scarring in trial

Akero Therapeutics

04/03/2024 15:30

(Updates)
    ** Shares of drug developer Akero Therapeutics  AKRO.O  up
about 10% at $30.6
    ** AKRO's lead experimental drug for a type of fatty liver
disease called MASH significantly reduced scarring after nearly
two years in a mid-stage study
    ** MASH, or metabolic dysfunction-associated
steatohepatitis, causes an excessive accumulation of fat in the
liver and affects around 5% of the U.S. population
    ** The drug candidate, efruxifermin, showed most benefit
than any other treatment for the disease in the small study, but
results will have to be confirmed in a later-stage trial
    ** After 96 weeks, biopsies showed the drug helped reduce
scarring in liver by at least one stage in 75% of patients who
took higher dose, and in 46% of patients on a lower dose,
compared to 24% for placebo
    ** Jefferies sees $2 bln to $3 bln in peak sales of the drug
    ** Stock up more than 30% YTD, including session's gain

 (Reporting by Puyaan Singh and Pratik Jain in Bengaluru)
 ((Puyaan.Singh@thomsonreuters.com;))