First FXR agonist trial to demonstrate no discontinuations due to AEs, including pruritus, and both a differentiated pruritus and lipid profile in patients with NASH
First 12-week controlled trial in patients with NASH to show significant improvements in corrected T1 (cT1), an imaging marker of liver inflammation and fibrosis linked to clinical outcomes
Terns plans to initiate first NASH trial of an FXR agonist (TERN-101) in combination with a THR-β agonist (TERN-501) in 1H22
Company to host conference call and webcast at 8:30 a.m. ET today
FOSTER CITY, Calif., June 14, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Terns Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (“Terns” or the “Company”) (Nasdaq: TERN), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing a portfolio of small-molecule single-agent and combination therapy candidates for the treatment of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and other chronic liver diseases, today reported positive top-line results from the Phase 2a LIFT clinical trial of TERN-101, a liver-distributed farnesoid X receptor (FXR) agonist for the treatment of patients with NASH.
The LIFT study is a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group, Phase 2a clinical trial to evaluate the safety, tolerability, efficacy, and pharmacokinetics of orally-administered TERN-101 tablets at doses of 5 mg, 10 mg and 15 mg in 100 adult patients with presumed non-cirrhotic non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). The primary objective of the clinical trial was to evaluate the safety and tolerability of TERN-101 over 12 weeks of treatment plus a four-week post-treatment follow-up period. Secondary endpoints included percent change from baseline in ALT levels and plasma pharmacokinetics of TERN-101. Exploratory efficacy endpoints included changes in liver fibro-inflammation measured by MRI corrected T1 (cT1), liver fat content by MRI proton density fat fraction (MRI-PDFF), pharmacodynamic parameters, and serum NASH biomarkers.
In the LIFT trial, TERN-101 was generally well tolerated with a similar incidence of adverse events (AEs) across treatment groups. All treatment-related adverse events were mild/moderate with no apparent dose relationship. There were no treatment-related serious adverse events, and no patient discontinued TERN-101 due to any adverse event including pruritus. The most frequent treatment-emergent adverse events included pruritus, headache, constipation, diarrhea, decreased appetite and dizziness. Pruritus was reported in four patients (16%) in the 5 mg TERN-101 arm, three patients (11.5%) in the 10 mg TERN-101 arm, four patients (17.4%) in the 15 mg TERN-101 arm and no patients in the placebo group. Three pruritus cases were Grade 2 (widespread and intermittent); the rest were Grade 1 (mild or localized). Notably, there were no Grade 3 (widespread and constant) pruritus events and no discontinuations due to pruritus. Most pruritus cases resolved during continued TERN-101 treatment.
No change in LDL cholesterol was observed in patients in the 5 mg and 10 mg TERN-101 arms as compared to placebo (Week 12 mean change: 4.8% for placebo, 6.7% for 5 mg TERN-101, 3.2% for 10 mg TERN-101, not significant). Statistically significant LDL changes were observed only in the 15 mg arm (Week 12 mean change: 15.9%, p