Gilead’s NASH combo data suggest benefit, safety

Phase II combination data presented by Gilead at EASL could begin to lay the groundwork for what MOAs will be essential parts of combinations in non-alcoholic steatohepatitis.

In a Phase II proof-of-concept trial in 20 patients with NASH presented at the European Association for the Study of the Liver meeting in Vienna, Gilead Sciences Inc. (NASDAQ:GILD) reported that 74% treated with cilofexor (GS-9674) plus firsocostat (GS-0976) showed a decline in liver fat of at least 30% from baseline to week 12. The change in liver fat was measured by MRI proton density fat fraction (MRI-PDFF), a non-invasive biomarker of liver function that multiple companies are evaluating as an alternative to biopsy (see “New Endpoints in NASH”)...