NASH (Non-Alcoholic Steatohepatitis) is a serious liver disease for which there is currently no treatment. In our NASH program, we are working on a new mechanism of action and a new target protein involved in fat deposition in liver and other tissues, inflammatory response and fibrosis in NASH. This gives us the opportunity to develop treatments that can slow the progression of both early and late stages of NAFLD (Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease)/NASH, either as monotherapy or in combination with other NASH treatments.
The NASH program was out-licensed to LG Chem in 2019 and at the end of 2022 a pre-clinical in vivo proof-of-concept study was conducted. The purpose of the study was to study the long-term effect of new promising compounds developed in the program. The result showed reduction of all the parameters used to diagnose NASH and also reduction of fibrosis in the liver. The study was done in a well-established NASH model and performed at an external European laboratory. Despite these promising results, LG Chem announced in May 2023 that they do not intend to pursue the NASH program. The program therefore reverts to Sprint Bioscience, with no financial obligations to LG Chem. Sprint Bioscience is now working to find a new partner for the program.
