Katherine Lewin
News Reporter
Merck is teasing data for efinopegdutide, a GLP-1/glucagon receptor co-agonist, in nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and how it compares to Novo Nordisk’s semaglutide, with plans to share more detailed data from the study at the European Association for the Study of the Liver’s annual meeting later this month.
Merck plans to use data from efinopegdutide’s Phase IIa trial in adult patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease to inform a Phase IIb study set to begin later this month in NASH, a more severe form of the disease, according to Merck. The FDA recently granted the drug, which is also being evaluated as a treatment for obesity and diabetes, a fast track designation in NASH.
In the randomized, open-label study, efinopegdutide was given subcutaneously to evaluate the compound’s efficacy in liver fat reduction (LFR) and safety against Novo Nordisk’s semaglutide, which also goes by the brand names Ozempic and Wegovy, according to Evercore ISI analyst Umer Raffat.
In 2020, Merck stepped in and in-licensed the drug from Hanmi for $10 million upfront and $860 million in milestones.
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