Efruxifermin reverses MASH cirrhosis in 29% of patients at week 96 in the Phase 2b SYMMETRY trial

Novo Nordisk/Efruxifermin

Akero reported 96-week biopsy results from SYMMETRY in patients with compensated cirrhosis caused by MASH. On the 50 mg dose, 29% of all patients (counting missing biopsies as failures) improved by at least one fibrosis stage without worse liver inflammation, against about 12% on placebo. Akero called it the first public report of a drug reversing MASH cirrhosis; the gap over placebo widened between weeks 36 and 96.

• Among patients with both biopsies, 39% on 50 mg improved vs 15% on placebo (p=0.009).
• Intent-to-treat: 29% vs about 12% (p=0.031), with 181 patients in the analysis.
• Effect over placebo more than doubled from week 36 (10 points) to week 96 (24 points).
• In patients not on GLP-1 drugs, 45% improved vs 17%, so the result was not due to GLP-1 use.
• Blood and stiffness markers of fibrosis also fell versus placebo.