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Akero Therapeutics said Monday that extending treatment with its experimental drug for the liver disease known as MASH from six months to two years resulted in better outcomes for patients — most notably reductions in liver scarring at a rate three times higher than placebo without worsening other symptoms.

The mid-stage study of the Akero drug called efruxifermin achieved its main goal in September 2022. With longer treatment, more patients with MASH responded to the drug, while those who initially benefited showed durable improvements.

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“We’re really pleased with the data. It’s exactly what we were hoping to see,” said Kitty Yale, Akero’s chief development officer, in an interview with STAT. “It’s not just the high response rates, but the fact that responses are sustained and broadened as well.”

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