Summary
- Merck has been able to license a drug from NGM Bio, now known as MRK-3655, which can be used to treat patients with both Type 2 diabetes and NASH.
- Preliminary results from phase 1b study showed that NAFLD patients treated with MRK-3655 achieved 30% relative fat reduction on day 23 and then 37% relative fat reduction on day 36.
- NASH space has competition; one is Intercept, which is gearing up to file for FDA approval of Ocaliva and then interim results expected from Genfit end of 2019.
- A monthly dosing available for NASH patients would be highly ideal, because there would be a possibility to avoid having to take pills every day as treatment.
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Merck (NYSE:MRK) and its partner NGM Biopharmaceuticals hope to deliver on a potential treatment for non-alcoholic steatohepatitis and type 2 diabetes. This is what both companies showed when some preliminary data was released for a study using MK-3655 to treat patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). There was a new updated data released from the study at the 79th Scientific Sessions of the American Diabetes Association (ADA). With promising preliminary data, it is expected that MK-3655 will be moved into a phase 2 study. The hope here lies not only to develop a new non-alcoholic steatohepatitis treatment but one that can be given to patients in monthly doses.
