Pipeline updates are highly awaited events in the pharma/biotech sector as they play an important role in deciding whether or not to invest in a particular company. These updates provide information on experimental drugs and at times give an insight into the commercial potential of the candidate once it is successfully developed and commercialized.
Last week, Conatus Pharmaceuticals (CNAT) announced top-line results from three pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic studies on emricasan in organ-impaired patients.
Results showed that a higher dose cohort of emricasan is more effective in acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF) and organ impairment patients as compared to its lower doses. In the first phase II study (n=21) on emricasan in patients suffering from ACLF, results revealed that at day 7, only the 50 mg dose of emricasan led to sustained reductions in caspase-cleaved cytokeratin 18 (cCK18) as compared to the entire dosing period in the majority of patients.
The median reduction in the 50 mg cohort of emricasan on the 2nd day was 54% as compared to 7%, 13% and 44% in the placebo, 5 mg and 25 mg cohorts of emricasan respectively. The median reduction in cCK18 was only maintained in the 50 mg cohort of emricasan at day 7 (50%) but not in the other cohorts.
Moreover, results from the study revealed that alanine aminotransferase levels did not show any improvement in ACLF patients. At day 14, 9 of the patients enrolled in the study either discontinued or failed to follow up in this difficult-to-manage population.
Results from a phase I study on emricasan in patients suffering from mild, moderate and severe hepatic impairment also showed that patients responded rapidly to the single 50 mg dose of emricasan as far as caspase-mediated biomarkers are concerned. However, in another phase I study in patients suffering from severe renal impairment there were no notable changes after treatment with the 50 mg dose of emricasan.
Conatus is awaiting several results from emricasan studies in the coming months – top-line results from nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD)/NASH study in the first quarter of 2015, initial interim results from its ongoing post liver transplant hepatitis C virus clearance with unresolved fibrosis study in the first half of 2015, top-line results from portal hypertension study in the third quarter of 2015 and top-line interim results from liver cirrhosis study in the second half of 2015.
We expect investor focus to remain on these results going forward.
Conatus currently carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). Some other stocks that are also worth considering in the health care sector include AMAG Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (AMAG), Affymetrix Inc. (AFFX) and Amgen Inc. (AMGN). All the stocks hold a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy).
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