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ARTICLE | Emerging Company Profile

Cirius safety

How Cirius’ insulin sensitizer could avoid AEs of Actos, Avandia in NASH

March 16, 2018 12:55 AM UTC

Cirius Therapeutics Inc. is developing a second-generation insulin sensitizer for non-alcoholic steatohepatitis that is designed to avoid cardiovascular symptoms and edema associated with first-generation agents.

Insulin-sensitizing thiazolidinediones (TZDs) including Actos pioglitazone from Takeda Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. and Avandia rosiglitazone from GlaxoSmithKline plc are approved to treat Type II diabetes. Because clinical studies have shown the drugs reduce fibrosis in NASH patients, they are often used off-label to treat NASH. However, widespread use of TZDs is limited by black box warnings for congestive heart failure and edema. ...