Sagimet to Present Phase 2b Denifanstat Data at EASL Liver Congress 2024

Sagimet Biosciences Inc., a biopharmaceutical company based in San Mateo, California, is currently in the clinical stage of developing innovative fatty acid synthase (FASN) inhibitors to address dysfunctional metabolic and fibrotic pathways. On May 7, 2024, Sagimet announced that data from their Phase 2b FASCINATE-2 study on denifanstat, aimed at treating metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH), will be presented during a General Session at the European Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL) International Liver Congress 2024. This event is scheduled to take place in Milan, Italy, from June 5-8, 2024.

The presentation, titled "Denifanstat, a fatty acid synthase (FASN) inhibitor, shows significant fibrosis improvement and MASH resolution in FASCINATE-2, a Ph2b 52 week international, randomized, double blind, placebo-controlled trial in patients with F2 or F3 fibrosis," will be delivered by Dr. Rohit Loomba from the University of California, San Diego. Dr. Loomba's presentation is set for Thursday, June 6th, 2024, from 12:15 – 12:30 CEST.

Sagimet Biosciences is actively engaged in the development of denifanstat, an oral, once-daily selective FASN inhibitor. This drug targets metabolic pathways that contribute to the overproduction of palmitate, a fatty acid associated with various diseases. The FASCINATE-2 trial, a Phase 2b clinical study involving liver biopsies as primary endpoints, has yielded positive results, marking significant progress in the treatment of MASH.

MASH is a severe and progressing liver disease that currently affects over 115 million individuals globally. There is only one recently approved treatment in the United States and none in Europe. In 2023, medical societies and patient advocacy groups globally decided to rename non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) to metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) to metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH). They also introduced the term steatotic liver disease (SLD) to encompass various liver diseases caused by fat accumulation in the liver. The change was aimed at providing a positive and non-stigmatizing terminology for these conditions.

Sagimet Biosciences continues to focus on pioneering treatments to address serious liver diseases like MASH through their innovative FASN inhibitors. Their work not only promises new therapeutic avenues but also highlights the importance of addressing metabolic dysfunctions in the treatment of liver diseases.