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Novartis Sees Pliant’s NASH Program Offering Pathway To Treating Sickest Patients

 
• By Joseph Haas

Swiss pharma thinks targeted integrin inhibition could be part of the approach to treating cirrhotic NASH patients, those most at risk of needing a liver transplant.

Novartis_Building
Novartis' partnership with Pliant is aimed at treating the sickest NASH patients

Novartis AG has been active in non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) development and deal-making in recent years, but its $80m upfront commitment to Pliant Therapeutics for a preclinical alpha V beta 1 integrin inhibitor still caught attention last October. In an interview, executives from both companies explained that PLN-1474 and potential follow-on integrin inhibitors may help Novartis develop a therapy for the sickest NASH patients, those with cirrhosis.

Then-privately held Pliant had multiple suitors for its preclinical integrin inhibitor program after presenting data showing antifibrotic properties for its...

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