Yuhan Corp. has patented membrane primary amine oxidase (AOC3) inhibitors reported to be useful for the treatment of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis.

Olix Pharmaceuticals Inc. has obtained promising data with OLX-702-A, an investigational GalNAc-asiRNA therapeutic for the treatment of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), in a nonhuman primate NASH model. Administration of OLX-702-A resulted in a significant reduction in liver fat content, measured by magnetic resonance imaging proton density fat fraction (MRI-PDFF).

Inipharm Inc. has divulged thiazoles/isothiazoles acting as 17-β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase 13 (HSD17B13) inhibitors reported to be useful for the treatment of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, nonalcoholic steatohepatitis, cirrhosis, alcoholic liver disease, drug-induced liver injury and portal hypertension.

Terns Pharmaceuticals Inc. has patented thyroid hormone receptor β (THRβ) agonists reported to be useful for the treatment of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis.

After two years of talks, privately held Ventus Therapeutics Inc. and Novo Nordisk A/S have signed an exclusive worldwide license deal to commercialize candidates from Ventus’ portfolio of peripherally restricted NLR pyrin domain-containing 3 (NLRP3) inhibitors. Along with Roche Holding AG’s September 2020 acquisition of Inflazome Ltd. and Novartis AG’s buyout of subsidiary IFM Tre in April 2019, this is another step by big players to get into the NLRP3 space.

Altimmune Inc. has come under scrutiny from investors after weight loss data from a phase Ib trial of its nonalcoholic fatty liver disease drug, pemvidutide, sent its shares on a roller coaster ride.

Researchers from Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co. KG presented preclinical data for BI-456906, a novel long-acting glucagon (GCG)/glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) dual receptor agonist, currently in phase II development in patients with obesity and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH).