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Akero Therapeutics said Tuesday that an experimental medicine failed to show a significant benefit for patients with cirrhosis caused by NASH, the most advanced and life-threatening stage of the fatty liver disease.

While the study’s primary goal of improving liver fibrosis, or scarring, was not achieved, the Akero drug, called efruxifermin, outperformed placebo by 10 percentage points. The drug also resolved NASH symptoms, including reductions in liver fat and inflammation, and improved other markers of the disease.

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“These are the best data reported to date for any NASH drug in this patient population,” said Kitty Yale, Akero’s chief development officer. “We missed the primary endpoint. We understand that, but there’s actually a lot of hope when you look at the totality of the data.”

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