Former Novartis Drug Joins Akero & 89bio in NASH Race to Market

Initial findings from Boston Pharmaceuticals’ former Novartis candidate show that it is effective in treating non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH).

It’s not apparent, though, if the biotech can set BOS-580 apart from more advanced prospects as competitor treatments from Akero Therapeutics and 89bio approach phase 3 trials.

During Boston’s stage 2 trials, more than 70% of participants who received at least 150 mg of BOS-580 once a month for three months saw a 50% decrease in liver fat, as opposed to 3% of those who received a placebo.

Alanine transaminase (ALT), a biomarker for liver impairment, was reduced by more than 45% in subjects who took 300 mg of the medication per month. Additionally, Boston connected the 300 mg dosage to a 30% decrease in the soluble fibrosis marker PRO-C3.

The company’s Chief Executive Officer, Sophie Kornowski, said that “today’s findings strengthen our belief that BOS-580 has the potential to play an important role as a once monthly treatment available to physicians who treat patients suffering from NASH.”

There is a huge rush to be the first of this product to hit the market, and multiple competitors have already demonstrated comparable results in more advanced trials.

It is hard to directly assess BOS-580 vs competitors due to the usual warnings regarding potential trial inaccuracy and data limitations.

Boston may be able to triumph by exploiting a niche, for example offering a safer, more comfortable, and more practical treatment, if it can’t distinguish its candidate based on effectiveness.

For instance, Boston is the only company currently exploring a monthly dosage schedule.

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