S3-E48.1 - Results of Altimmune’s 12 week Phase 1B Study of Pemvidutide

Send us Fan MailA recent string of press releases presaged some of the most exciting, promising data of the last decade in NASH drug development. In this conversation, Principal Investigator Stephen Harrison reviews the top-line results of Altimmune’s 12 week Phase 1B study of pemvidutide, a GLP-1/glucagon dual receptor agonist.Stephen describes the effects of pemvidutide on the liver’s fat creation and processing. “It's like taking a drug that both induces weight loss and increases exercise without actually having to diet or get out and exercise. So just think of this drug physiologically working in that particular manner.” He goes on to outline the study design, patient qualification and restrictions, and an attention-grabbing set of trial results:All 3 pemvidutide dosing groups (1.2 mg, 1.8 mg, 2.4 mg) achieved the primary endpoint of relative and absolute reductions in liver fat, with a 68.5% relative reduction in liver fat content in subjects receiving 1.8 mg dose at 12 weeks of treatmentMean weight loss of 4.9% (placebo-adjusted 4.7%) in subjects without diabetes receiving 1.8 mg dose at 12 weeks of treatmentThese results are accompanied by a relatively strong safety and tolerability profile. When Stephen finishes, Jörn Schattenberg observes that unlike single GLP-1 agonists, this drug has a direct liver effect through its glucagon mechanism. Mazen Noureddin points out that liver fat reduction with pemvidutide is greater than what is typically seen in a drug with 4.3% weight loss. He suggests that the drug's positive impact on other metabolic parameters reflects a "whole body approach" more consistent with the multi-metabolic disease vision we often discuss on this podcast.