Inventiva (NASDAQ:IVA) reported a Phase 2 study of its drug candidate lanifibranor met its primary efficacy endpoint in the treatment of patients with MASH/NASH and type 2 diabetes.
Lanifibranor was tested in combination with empagliflozin in patients with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis, or MASH, also known as non-alcoholic steatohepatitis, or NASH, and type 2 diabetes.
Empagliflozin is the generic name for Boehringer Ingelheim and Eli Lilly’s (LLY) diabetes medication Jardiance.
Inventiva said the Phase 2 proof-of-concept study met its primary endpoint with an absolute reduction of HbA1c of 1.14% and 1.59% in patients treated with lanifibranor or in combination with empagliflozin at week 24 versus an increase of 0.26% in the placebo arm.
Patients treated with the combination also were able to maintain a stable weight throughout the 24 weeks of the study.
Last week, Madrigal (MDGL) drug Rezdiffra became the first FDA-approved treatment for the liver disorder NASH.
Several other companies are also working on therapies for NASH/MASH, including Lilly (LLY), Novo Nordisk (NVO), GSK (GSK), Viking Therapeutics (VKTX), Ascletis (OTCPK:ASCLF), Akero Therapeutics (AKRO), 89bio (ETNB), Sagimet Biosciences (SGMT), Galectin Therapeutics (GALT), Gilead (GILD), Galmed (GLMD), Ionis (IONS), Hepion (HEPA), Terns Pharma (TERN), and Arrowhead (ARWR).