The Dash to Treat NASH,,

The Next Big Global Epidemic

David J. Lomb, PhD
Senior Consultant, Defined Health
Brent A. Tetri, M.D.
Director of the Division of Gastroenterology &
Hematology
Saint Louis University School of Medicine
Defined Health Insight Series Webinar
March 6, 2015
NASH Insight Briefing
Defined Health, 2015

Defined Health, 2015

The information in this presentation has been obtained from what are believed to
be reliable sources and has been verified whenever possible. Nevertheless, we
cannot guarantee the
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f
i contained
i dh
herein
i as to accuracy or completeness.
l
All expressions of opinion are the responsibility of Defined Health, and though
current as of the date of this report, are subject to change.
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consent off D
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Health,
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Defined Health 2015

NASH Insight Briefing
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Defined Health is Pleased to Present:

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NAFLD is Now the Most Common Cause of Chronic Liver

Disease in North America
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD)

encompasses a spectrum ranging from

simple steatosis
steatosis, to NASH with increasing
levels of fibrosis, and ultimately cirrhosis.
NASH describes a distinct clinical entity

patients lack a historyy of

in which p
significant alcohol consumption but have
liver biopsy findings indistinguishable
from alcoholic steatohepatitis.
NASH is closely associated with insulin

resistance and features of the metabolic

syndrome such as obesity, hypertriglyceridemia and type 2 diabetes.
triglyceridemia,
diabetes

Frontline Gastroenterol. 2014 Jul;5(3):211-218; Hematology. 2014 Dec 29

NASH Insight Briefing

Defined Health, 2015

NASH is an Important Cause of Liver-Related

Morbidity and Mortality
In the U.S., ~30% of adults and ~10% of children are

estimated to have NAFLD.

10-30% of these patients have NASH and 2540% of
patients with NASH will develop progressive liver fibrosis.
NASH patients have an increased liver-related mortality
rate.
NASH patients have an increased risk of cardiovascular
death.
2030% of NASH patients with advanced fibrosis will
develop cirrhosis which is associated with a poor long-term
prognosis:
10-year mortality rate is 20% for patients with ChildPugh A disease and 45% will decompensate within 10
years of diagnosis.
Patients with cirrhosis secondary to NASH are at
increased risk of developing hepatocellular carcinoma
carcinoma.
End stage liver disease secondary to NASH is projected to
become the most common indication for liver transplant by
2025.

Patients with
NAFLD

~81,000,000

Patients with
NASH

~16,000,000

NASH Patients
with Advanced
Fibrosis

~5,000,000

NASH Patients
with Cirrhosis

~1,300,000

End Stage Liver

Failure, HCC

Frontline Gastroenterol. 2014 Jul;5(3):211-218; Aliment Pharmacol Ther. 2011 Aug;34(3):274-85; World J Transplant. 2014 Jun 24;4(2):81-92; Hematology. 2014 Dec 29

NASH Insight Briefing

Defined Health, 2015

There Are No Drugs Approved for NAFLD and/or NASH

Management of NAFLD depends largely on the stage of disease:
Lifestyle modification (e.g. diet and exercise) treatment of any associated metabolic risk

factors.
factors
Pioglitazone or vitamin E may be considered for NASH patients with fibrosis.
For patients who have progressed to cirrhosis, surveillance for HCC is essential.

With an estimated 16-30 million adults affected in the U.S.

alone and no FDA approved treatments, non-alcoholic
NASH
steatohepatitis (NASH) has been proclaimed the Next Big
Global Epidemic and the Next Hepatitis C. Indeed,
NASH f
NASH
NASH
analysts
l t(nonow
forecast
t
th
that
t
th
the
market
k
t
f
for
NASH
ttreatments
t
t
fibrosis)
(fibrosis)
(cirrhosis)
could reach $35-40 Billion by 2025.
Treatment Options:
Diet and exercise

Treatment Options:
Diet and exercise
Pioglitazone
Vitamin E

Treatment Options:
p
Diet and exercise
Pioglitazone
Pentoxifylline
Endoscopy to screen
for esophageal varices
Screening for
f HCC

DH Primary Resarch; Frontline Gastroenterol. 2014 Oct;5(4):277-286; N Engl J Med 2010; 362:1675.

NASH Insight Briefing

Defined Health, 2015

The Number of Patients with NASH is Undoubtedly Large, but the

Number that are Currently Being Diagnosed is Likely Much Smaller
Most patients with NAFLD are asymptomatic and are

typically only identified by routine blood tests showing

elevations in liver enzymes (i
(i.e.
e ALT
ALT, AST
AST, GGT)
GGT).

Patients with
Elevated LFTs
or Fatty Liver
on US

Liver enzymes are not elevated in all NAFLD patients and

many dont get routine wellness exams, thus many with

g
NAFLD remain undiagnosed.
Liver biopsy is required to diagnosis NASH and only a small

percentage of patients currently undergo liver biopsy.

Patients with
NAFLD

~81,000,000

Patients with
NASH

~16,000,000

NASH Patients
with Advanced
Fibrosis

~5,000,000

Non-invasive methods for detecting

g advanced fibrosis still

have many limitations (e.g. high failure rate, much less

sensitive than biopsy).
The number of NASH patients who are diagnosed may be

significantly smaller than population based estimates

would suggest.

Patients
Eligible for
Treatment

DH Primary Research; Frontline Gastroenterol. 2014 Jul;5(3):211-218; Aliment Pharmacol Ther. 2011 Aug;34(3):274-85

NASH Insight Briefing

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NASH Represents a Huge Patient Population with a High Level of Unmet

Need, but there Are Significant Obstacles to Developing New Drugs
No drug has received FDA approval for NASH, thus a clinical and regulatory

path has not yet been established

The pathogenesis of NASH is poorly understood and probably multifactorial
NASH progresses very slowly, necessitating long clinical trials
The natural history of NASH is often heterogeneous and it is difficult to

predict who will progress, necessitating large clinical trials

Non-invasive techniques for diagnosing NASH and assessing response to

treatment are not yet ready for clinical trials, thus liver biopsies continue to
be required
NASH Insight Briefing
Defined Health, 2015

The Number of Companies Seeking to Develop New Treatments

for NASH is Rapidly Growing
Company

Drug

MoA

RoA

Phase

Raptor

RP103

Antioxidant - cysteine depleting agent

Oral

Phase 3

Zydus-Cadila

Saroglitazar

PPAR agonist

Oral

Phase 3

Novo Nordisk

liraglutide

GLP-1

SubQ

Phase 2

Takeda

Pioglitazone

PPAR agonist

Oral

Phase 2

Islet Sciences

remogliflozin etabonate

SGLT-2 inhibitor

Oral

Phase 2

Aptalis Pharma

Ursodeoxycholic acid

Bile acid

Undefined

Phase 2

Gilead

Simtuzumab

LOXL2 antibody

IV and SubQ

Phase 2

Conatus

Emricasan

Caspase protease inhibitor

Oral

Phase 2

Galmed

Aramchol

Synthetic fatty acid/ bile acid conj

Oral

Phase 2

Tobira

Cenicriviroc

Dual CCR2/CC5 antagonist

Oral

Phase 2

Genfit

GFT 505

PPAR alpha/delta agonist

Oral

Phase 2

Intercept

OCA

FXR agonist

Oral

Phase 2

Phenex

PX 104

FXR agonist (non bile acid)

Oral

Phase 2

Mochida

icosapent ethyl ester

Caspase protease inhibitor

Oral

Phase 2

Immuron

IMM 124E

Immunomodulators

Oral

Phase 2

KT&G Life Sciences

MB 12066

Sirtuin stimulants

Oral

Phase 2

Adis R&D Insight, Thomson Reuters Cortellis

NASH Insight Briefing

Defined Health, 2015

And the Number of Companies Seeking to Develop

New Treatments for NASH is Rapidly Growing
Company

Drug

MoA

RoA

Phase

PharmaKing

Oltipraz

Fatty acid inhibitor

Oral

Phase 2

Novartis

Pradigastat

DGAT1 inhibitor

Oral

Phase 2

Therapix

TRX 318

CD3 antigen

Oral

Phase 2

Takeda

Roflumilast

PDE-4

Oral

Phase 2

Antipodean

Mitoquinone

Antioxidant

Oral

Phase 2

KT&G Life Sciences

MB 11055

AMPK stimulant

Undefined

Phase 2

Naia

NC 101

Undefined mechanism

Undefined

Phase 2

Galectin

GR MD 02

Galectin-3

IV and SubQ

Phase 1

Kadmon

KD 025

ROCK2 inhibitor

Oral

Phase 1

Phenex

PX 102

FXR agonist

Oral

Phase 1

Shire

SHP 626

ASBT inhibitor

Oral

Phase 1

Durect

DUR-928

Undefined small molecule

Oral

Phase 1

Daewoong

DWP-10292

Undefined small molecule

Oral

Phase 1

Gilead

GS 4997
GS-4997

ASK1 inhibitor

Oral

Phase 1

TaiwanJ

JKB-121

TLR-4 antagonist

Oral

Phase 1

Madrigal

MGL-3196

THR beta agonist

Oral

Phase 1

Virobay

VBY-376

Cathepsin B inhibitor

Oral

Phase 1

La Jolla

LGPC-1010

Galectin-3

Oral

Preclinical

Adis R&D Insight, Thomson Reuters Cortellis

NASH Insight Briefing

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10

NASH Began Making Headlines Early Last Year When the FLINT
Study was Stopped Early After Meeting its Primary Endpoint

www.fiercebiotech.com; Lancet. 2014 Nov 7

NASH Insight Briefing

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11

In November, 2014, the Complete Results of the FLINT Study

were Published in the Lancet

Lancet. 2014 Nov 7. pii: S0140-6736(14)61933-4.

NASH Insight Briefing

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12

Although FLINT Met its Primary Endpoint, there Was No Resolution of

NASH, and Some Potentially Troubling Safety and Tolerability Signals

The good news:

45% in the OCA arm had an improvement in disease (i.e.
( 2
point decrease in NAS with no worsening of fibrosis) compared
to 21% in the placebo arm.
Fibrosis was improved in 35% of the OCA arm and 19% of the
placebo.

Lancet. 2014 Nov 7. pii: S0140-6736(14)61933-4.

NASH Insight Briefing

Defined Health, 2015

13

Although FLINT Met its Primary Endpoint, there Was No Resolution of

NASH, and Some Potentially Troubling Safety and Tolerability Signals

The bad news:

There was no significant difference in resolution of NASH
between the OCA and placebo groups.
There were clear signs that the OCA arm suffered an increase in
LDL.
About
Ab t one iin ffour iin th
the OCA arm suffered
ff d ffrom pruritis,
iti
including three cases which were deemed severe or life
threatening.

Lancet. 2014 Nov 7. pii: S0140-6736(14)61933-4.

NASH Insight Briefing

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14

Although FLINT Met its Primary Endpoint, there Was No Resolution of

NASH, and Some Potentially Troubling Safety and Tolerability Signals

Lancet. 2014 Nov 7. pii: S0140-6736(14)61933-4.

NASH Insight Briefing

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15

In December of 2014, the AASLD and the FDA Published Guidance from
a Joint Workshop Focused on Clinical Development of Drugs for NASH

Accordingg to the FDA/AASLD

/
guidance
g
the reversal of
steatohepatitis with no evidence of progression to advanced
fibrosis (stage 3 or 4), may be an acceptable surrogate
endpoint suitable both for phase 2b and 3 trials that enroll
patients with NASH and evidence of early fibrosis.

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On January 6, Gilead Announced that it Will Pay Phenex

Pharmaceuticals Up to $470M for Access to its FXR Program for NASH

www.fiercebiotech.com

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On January 29th, Intercept Announced that OCA Received

Breakthrough Therapy Designation for NASH Patients with Liver Fibrosis

www.fiercebiotech.com

NASH Insight Briefing

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On February 23, Merck Announced it Will Pay NGM Biopharmaceuticals

Up to $450M to Collaborate on Pipeline Product Development

Merck bets big on NGM with a $450M handshake

February 23,
23 2015 | By Damian Garde
Taking a page from famed partners like Sanofi ($SNY) and Regeneron ($REGN) and Roche
and Genentech, Merck ($MRK) has signed a sweeping R&D deal with biotech NGM
Biopharmaceuticals, promising up to $450 million for 5 years of pipeline-building
collaboration.
Under the agreement, Merck will pay NGM $94 million up front and trade $106 million
for a 15% stake in the company. In exchange, the pharma giant gets the chance to
collaborate on NGM's
NGM s wide range of preclinical biologics, committing up to $250 million to
bankroll development.
The collaboration's only thus-far disclosed asset is NP201, a preclinical candidate with
potential in obesity, diabetes and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), NGM said.
B
Beyond
d th
that,
t th
the bi
biotech
t hh
has hi
hinted
t d att a pipeline
i li off potential
t ti l ttreatments
t
t ffor other
th
cardiometabolic diseases, cancer, central nervous system disorders and kidney ailments,
otherwise keeping details under wraps. NGM's lead asset, the Phase II NASH treatment
NGM282, is not part of the Merck deal and remains wholly owned by the biotech.

www.fiercebiotech.com

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The NASH Ecosystem Certainly Looks Ready for More Big deals,
but Important Questions Remain to be Answered
Which primary endpoint(s) is the FDA most likely to accept for regulatory

approval of new treatments for NASH?

What will a label indication for NASH look like?
How
H
will
ill clinicians
li i i
determine
d t
i which
hi h NASH patients
ti t to
t treat?
t t?
When will non-invasive tools for diagnosing NASH and monitoring response

t treatment
to
t t
t become
b
more widely
id l used
d in
i the
th clinic?
li i ?
What criteria will payers use to determine which NASH patients are eligible

f ttreatment?
for
t
t?
What issues/barriers/obstacles to developing drugs for NASH remain?

NASH Insight Briefing

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20

The NASH Ecosystem Certainly Looks Ready for More Big deals,
but Important Questions Remain to be Answered
Which primary endpoint(s) is the FDA most likely to accept for regulatory

approval of new treatments for NASH?

What will a label indication for NASH look like?
How will clinicians determine which NASH patients to treat?
When will non-invasive
non invasive tools for diagnosing NASH and monitoring response

to treatment become more widely used in the clinic?

What criteria will payers use to determine which NASH patients are eligible

for treatment?
What issues/barriers/obstacles to developing drugs for NASH remain?
NASH Insight Briefing
Defined Health, 2015

21

The NASH Ecosystem Certainly Looks Ready for More Big deals,
but Important Questions Remain to be Answered
Which primary endpoint(s) is the FDA most likely to accept for regulatory

approval of new treatments for NASH?

What will a label indication for NASH look like?
How will clinicians determine which NASH patients to treat?
When will non-invasive
non invasive tools for diagnosing NASH and monitoring response

to treatment become more widely used in the clinic?

What criteria will payers use to determine which NASH patients are eligible

for treatment?
What issues/barriers/obstacles to developing drugs for NASH remain?
NASH Insight Briefing
Defined Health, 2015

22

The NASH Ecosystem Certainly Looks Ready for More Big deals,
but Important Questions Remain to be Answered
Which primary endpoint(s) is the FDA most likely to accept for regulatory

approval of new treatments for NASH?

What will a label indication for NASH look like?
How will clinicians determine which NASH patients to treat?
When will non-invasive
non invasive tools for diagnosing NASH and monitoring response

to treatment become more widely used in the clinic?

What criteria will payers use to determine which NASH patients are eligible

for treatment?
What issues/barriers/obstacles to developing drugs for NASH remain?
NASH Insight Briefing
Defined Health, 2015

23

The NASH Ecosystem Certainly Looks Ready for More Big deals,
but Important Questions Remain to be Answered
Which primary endpoint(s) is the FDA most likely to accept for regulatory

approval of new treatments for NASH?

What will a label indication for NASH look like?
How will clinicians determine which NASH patients to treat?
When will non-invasive
non invasive tools for diagnosing NASH and monitoring response

to treatment become more widely used in the clinic?

What criteria will payers use to determine which NASH patients are eligible

for treatment?
What issues/barriers/obstacles to developing drugs for NASH remain?
NASH Insight Briefing
Defined Health, 2015

24

The NASH Ecosystem Certainly Looks Ready for More Big deals,
but Important Questions Remain to be Answered
Which primary endpoint(s) is the FDA most likely to accept for regulatory

approval of new treatments for NASH?

What will a label indication for NASH look like?
How will clinicians determine which NASH patients to treat?
When will non-invasive
non invasive tools for diagnosing NASH and monitoring response

to treatment become more widely used in the clinic?

What criteria will payers use to determine which NASH patients are eligible

for treatment?
What issues/barriers/obstacles to developing drugs for NASH remain?
NASH Insight Briefing
Defined Health, 2015

25

The NASH Ecosystem Certainly Looks Ready for More Big deals,
but Important Questions Remain to be Answered
Which primary endpoint(s) is the FDA most likely to accept for regulatory

approval of new treatments for NASH?

What will a label indication for NASH look like?
How will clinicians determine which NASH patients to treat?
When will non-invasive
non invasive tools for diagnosing NASH and monitoring response

to treatment become more widely used in the clinic?

What criteria will payers use to determine which NASH patients are eligible

for treatment?
What issues/barriers/obstacles to developing drugs for NASH remain?
NASH Insight Briefing
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26

Brent A. Tetri, M.D., Director of the Division of Gastroenterology &

Hematology, Saint Louis University School of Medicine
Dr. Tetri is the director of the division of gastroenterology and hepatology and a

specialist in liver diseases. A professor of internal medicine, he has been a

member of the faculty at Saint Louis University School of Medicine since 1991. Dr.
Tetri has been recognized for his expertise in non-alcoholic
non alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH).
(NASH)
His outpatient clinical practice focuses on the diagnosis of liver disease and the
management of all aspects of liver disease including cirrhosis and associated
complications. Dr. Tetris clinical research involves treatment trials for NASH and
studies to understand the causes of NASH. He also conducts basic laboratory
research
h with
h an emphasis
h
on understanding how
h
dietary trans-fats
f
damage the
h
liver.
Dr. Tetri often speaks at educational and scientific meetings nationally and
internationally to promote a better understanding of liver diseases such as
NASH and consults with industry experts to design and interpret clinical trials in
NASH,
liver disease. He is an active member of the American Association for the Study of
Liver Diseases (AASLD), and has served on the Practice Guidelines committee of
the AASLD to promote evidence-based practices in the care of patients with liver
disease.
Dr. Tetri has published over 100 papers with one of his most recent being the
Lancet paper published in December of 2014, which reported the full results of
the FLINT study of obeticholic acid conducted by the NASH clinical research
network.

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David J. Lomb, PhD, Senior Consultant, Defined Health

As a Senior Consultant with Defined Health, David participates in and leads

opportunity assessments as well as indication prioritization/sequencing, search,

and strategy projects. David regularly contributes to projects in the oncology,
dermatology CNS,
dermatology,
CNS and autoimmune and inflammatory disease spaces.
spaces In addition,
addition
David leads most projects involving the fibrosis therapeutic area at Defined
Health.
Prior to joining Defined Health in 2010, David was a postdoctoral fellow in the
Paul F. Glenn Laboratories
aboratories for the Biological
iological Mechanisms of Aging at Harvard
Medical School. As a scientist at Harvard, David studied a family of enzymes
known as sirtuins which have been implicated in the regulation of aging and agerelated diseases. Also while at Harvard, David was a fellow in the Early Technology
Assessment Program sponsored by the Office of Technology Development. In this
position David was responsible for performing initial commercial assessments of
position,
discoveries made by Harvard faculty members.
David earned a PhD in Pharmacology from the University of Rochester, in
Rochester, New York, where his thesis work focused on the molecular mechanisms
of neuronal p
programmed
g
cell death. David has also earned Bachelor of Science
degrees in both Biochemical Pharmacology and Psychology from the University at
Buffalo, in Buffalo, New York. David has published in peer reviewed scientific
journals and has presented his work at national scientific meetings.

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Defined Health is Pleased to Present:

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