Pfizer gets USFDA Fast Track Designation for Ervogastat plus Clesacostat to treat NASH
Diacylglycerol O-acyltransferase 2 (DGAT2) and acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC) are two key enzymes that regulate lipid metabolism. Inhibitors of ACC and DGAT2 have demonstrated the ability to lower liver fat in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).
New York: Pfizer Inc. has recently announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) has granted Fast Track designation to Pfizer's investigational combination therapy for the treatment of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) with liver fibrosis: ervogastat (PF-06865571, a diacylglycerol O-acyltransferase 2 inhibitor, or DGAT2i) and clesacostat (PF-05221304, an acetyl-CoA carboxylase inhibitor, or ACCi).
Fast Track is a process designed to facilitate the development and expedite the review of new drugs and vaccines intended to treat or prevent serious conditions and address unmet medical need.
The FDA's decision is informed by the results of Pfizer's nonclinical studies and a Phase 2a clinical study of ervogastat/clesacostat, which showed that treatment with ervogastat/clesacostat reduced liver fat with a favorable safety and tolerability profile. These data were recently published in Nature Medicine.
"Receiving Fast Track designation from the FDA reinforces Pfizer's belief in ervogastat/clesacostat as a potential treatment for NASH, a serious, progressive liver disease with no currently approved therapies," said James Rusnak, M.D., Ph.D., Senior Vice President and Chief Development Officer, Internal Medicine and Hospital, Pfizer. "We are proud to be advancing this investigational combination as part of our goal to develop innovative medicines to address some of the world's most widespread health challenges that affect millions of people—including diseases like NASH."
Pfizer is currently studying ervogastat/clesacostat in an ongoing Phase 2 clinical trial evaluating the impact of treatment on resolution of NASH or improvement in liver fibrosis, expected to complete in 2024. The results of this study, which also includes arms investigating ervogastat as monotherapy, will inform a potential Phase 3 development program.
Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is a serious, progressive form of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) caused by a buildup of fat in the liver and accompanied by inflammation, liver cell damage, and in some cases scarring of the liver.
Approximately 17 million patients in the U.S. are impacted by NASH (and 3-5% of the global adult population), a number that is predicted to grow significantly over the next 10-15 years due to increases in obesity and Type 2 diabetes prevalence and an aging population.
Read also: Pfizer third COVID vaccine shot over 80 percent effective against Omicron in kids under 5
