A Life-Threatening Liver Disease
NASH (non-alcoholic steatohepatitis) is a serious form of NAFLD (non-alcoholic fatty liver disease). NASH is closely linked to the obesity and diabetes epidemics seen around the world. The progressive damage to the liver associated with NASH closely resembles damage caused by excessive alcohol consumption or viral infections. However, NASH is driven primarily by chronically excessive intake of calories.
NASH is characterized by an excessive accumulation of fat in the liver that causes stress and injury to liver cells, leading to inflammation and fibrosis, which can progress to cirrhosis, liver failure, cancer and eventually death.
A Growing Health Epidemic
METABOLIC DRIVERS OF NASH
A CLOSER LOOK: DOWNSTREAM INFLAMMATION AND FIBROSIS
Finding a Treatment for NASH
There are no FDA-approved therapies for NASH. Many current investigational treatments aim to reduce inflammation and fibrosis but have demonstrated little improvement in addressing the underlying metabolic drivers of disease. In addition, some investigational treatments do not improve dyslipidemia— including hypercholesterolemia and hypertriglyceridemia—which underlies NASH patients’ susceptibility to cardiovascular disease.
We believe our Phase 2 clinical-stage candidate, AKR-001, is a powerful new therapy that has the potential to reverse the underlying metabolic dysregulation of the liver, protect against hepatocyte stress, and suppress downstream inflammation and fibrosis, with the ultimate goal of resolving NASH and restoring a healthy liver.