Hypoxia-inducible factors (HIFs) are crucial to maintain oxygen homeostasis by regulating cellular metabolic adaptation under hypoxia conditions. Depletion of factor inhibiting HIF (FIH), an enzyme that negatively regulates the activity of the HIF-1α isoform, has been associated with reductions in hepatic steatosis and body mass in mice.

What a difference 60 weeks can make. That’s the lesson Akero Therapeutics Inc. shared with the rollout of what executives called “unprecedented” data from the phase IIb Symmetry trial testing efruxifermin (EFX), its FGF21 receptor agonist, in patients with compensated cirrhosis due to metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH). While earlier findings had shown only a trend in improvement at 36 weeks, full 96-week results showed more than doubling of earlier effect size, hitting the primary endpoint and sending shares of Akero (NASDAQ:AKRO) up 97% to close Jan. 27 at $51.71.

Fatty acid synthase (FASN), an enzyme that drives de novo lipogenesis, plays a relevant role in metabolic disorders such as obesity, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) or type 2 diabetes. Denifanstat (TVB-2640), a FASN inhibitor, has recently shown positive results in a phase II study in patients with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH).

The liver and pancreas are the main actors in glucose metabolism, but not the only ones. Muscles, adipose tissue and the brain play different roles. However, the prize for the best new actor in glucagon production goes to the innate lymphoid cells (ILCs), which, according to a study published in Science, respond to intestine neuron signals traveling to the pancreas to control glucose.

A year after its $175 million IPO in 2024, Arrivent Biopharma Inc. picked up rights to develop and commercialize Lepu Biopharma Co. Ltd.’s antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) candidate, MRG-007, worldwide excluding the greater China region.

“The [colorectal cancer field is moving, and thankfully it’s moving quickly,” said Marwan Fakih, gastrointestinal specialist at City of Hope, speaking about initial phase II data from Xilio Therapeutics Inc.’s ongoing trial with vilastobart (XTX-101) when paired with PD-L1-blocking antibody Tecentriq (atezolizumab, Roche AG) in metastatic microsatellite stable disease.