Akero Therapeutics Inc (NASDAQ:AKRO) shares are trading higher after the company released preliminary topline week 96 results from HARMONY, a Phase 2b study of its lead product candidate efruxifermin (EFX) for pre-cirrhotic metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH), fibrosis stage 2 or 3 (F2-F3).
The study previously met its primary endpoint of ?1 stage improvement in fibrosis with no worsening of MASH after 24 weeks of treatment for both the 50mg EFX (41%) and 28mg EFX (39%) dose groups, compared to 20% for the placebo arm.
At week 96, the response rates on this endpoint increased to 75% for 50mg EFX and 46% for 28mg EFX, compared to 24% for placebo.
The study also met additional histology endpoints at week 96—notably, 36% and 31% of patients treated with 50mg EFX and 28mg EFX ...