Terns raises USD 87 Million for NASH drugs
Eli Lilly backed Terns Pharmaceuticals now has two NASH candidates in clinical trials. The startup recently raised USD 87 million to propel itself in a competitive market.
Presently, no drugs have been authorized by the FDA for nonalcoholic steatohepatitis. After the Food and Drug Administration rejected a long-anticipated NASH drug from Intercept Pharmaceuticals, and Genfit’s candidate flunked in phase III clinical trials, the field is open for competition.
Terns announced that it would use the proceeds of its series C round to proceed with clinical trials of its three NASH candidates. TERN-101 is a liver-directed non-bile acid farnesoid X receptor (FXR) agonist. At present, Terns has 96 patients enrolled in a 12-week, placebo-controlled Phase IIa study of the treatment, and it anticipates to share top-line data in the second half of 2021. It also slates to commence a Phase Ib trial of its second candidate, TERN-201, a vascular adhesion protein (VAP-1) inhibitor, with top-line data anticipated in the first half of 2022.
Terns schedules to bring a third candidate into the clinic this year, TERN-501, a thyroid hormone receptor (THR) beta-agonist. Also, it arranges to launch a combination trial of this treatment in conjunction with TERN-101 in 2022 as per company’s announcement.
