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Novartis Adds To NASH Pipeline By Licensing Pliant’s Integrin Inhibitor

 
• By Joseph Haas

Deal for preclinical asset adds an anti-fibrotic mechanism to Novartis’ NASH program. Pliant produced preclinical data showing strong anti-fibrotic effect.

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Novartis has made several deals to add to its NASH pipeline

A company paying $80m up front to license a preclinical asset can turn heads, but Novartis AG is committing that much for Pliant Therapeutics Inc.’s integrin inhibitor PLN-1474 for two reasons – it adds a drug with an anti-fibrotic mechanism to its portfolio of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) candidates, and the drug’s preclinical development included head-to-head testing with other NASH candidates in human liver tissue from transplant patients.

South San Francisco-based Pliant announced before the markets opened on 23 October that it will get $80m up front –...

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