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A structurally optimized FXR agonist, MET409, reduced liver fat content over 12 weeks in patients with non-alcoholic steatohepatitis.
Harrison, SA, Bashir, MR, Lee, KJ, Shim-Lopez, J, Lee, J, Wagner, B, Smith, ND, Chen, HC, Lawitz, EJ
Journal of hepatology. 2021;(1):25-33
Abstract
BACKGROUND & AIMS The benefits of farnesoid X receptor (FXR) agonists in patients with non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) have been validated, although improvements in efficacy and/or tolerability remain elusive. Herein, we aimed to assess the performance of a structurally optimized FXR agonist in patients with NASH. METHODS In this 12-week, randomized, placebo-controlled study, we evaluated MET409 - a non-bile acid agonist with a unique chemical scaffold - in patients with NASH. Patients were randomized to receive either 80 mg (n = 20) or 50 mg (n = 19) of MET409, or placebo (n = 19). RESULTS At Week 12, MET409 lowered liver fat content (LFC), with mean relative reductions of 55% (80 mg) and 38% (50 mg) vs. 6% in placebo (p <0.001). MET409 achieved ≥30% relative LFC reduction in 93% (80 mg) and 75% (50 mg) of patients vs. 11% in placebo (p <0.001) and normalized LFC (≤5%) in 29% (80 mg) and 31% (50 mg) of patients vs. 0% in placebo (p <0.05). An increase in alanine aminotransferase (ALT) was observed with MET409, confounding Week 12 changes from baseline (-25% for 80 mg, 28% for 50 mg). Nonetheless, MET409 achieved ≥30% relative ALT reduction in 50% (80 mg) and 31% (50 mg) of patients vs. 17% in placebo. MET409 was associated with on-target high-density lipoprotein cholesterol decreases (mean changes of -23.4% for 80 mg and -20.3% for 50 mg vs. 2.6% in placebo) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) increases (mean changes of 23.7% for 80 mg and 6.8% for 50 mg vs. -1.5% in placebo). Pruritus (mild-moderate) occurred in 16% (50 mg) and 40% (80 mg) of MET409-treated patients. CONCLUSION MET409 lowered LFC over 12 weeks in patients with NASH and delivered a differentiated pruritus and LDL-C profile at 50 mg, providing the first clinical evidence that the risk-benefit profile of FXR agonists can be enhanced through structural optimization. LAY SUMMARY Activation of the farnesoid X receptor (FXR) is a clinically validated approach for treating non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), although side effects such as itching or increases in low-density lipoprotein cholesterol are frequently dose-limiting. MET409, an FXR agonist with a unique chemical structure, led to significant liver fat reduction and delivered a favorable side effect profile after 12 weeks of treatment in patients with NASH. These results provide the first clinical evidence that the risk-benefit profile of FXR agonists can be enhanced.
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Safety, Tolerability, Pharmacokinetics, and Pharmacodynamics of the Novel Non-Bile Acid FXR Agonist Tropifexor (LJN452) in Healthy Volunteers.
Badman, MK, Chen, J, Desai, S, Vaidya, S, Neelakantham, S, Zhang, J, Gan, L, Danis, K, Laffitte, B, Klickstein, LB
Clinical pharmacology in drug development. 2020;(3):395-410
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Abstract
Tropifexor (LJN452) is a potent, orally available, non-bile acid farnesoid X receptor agonist under clinical development for chronic liver diseases. Here, we present results from a first-in-human study of tropifexor following single- and multiple-ascending doses (SAD/MAD) and food effect substudy in healthy volunteers. The SAD study included 6 fasted cohorts receiving 10- to 3000-µg tropifexor or placebo and 1 cohort receiving 300-µg tropifexor with a high-fat meal. The MAD study included 4 lean cohorts receiving 10 to 100 µg and 1 obese cohort receiving 30-µg once-daily doses or placebo for 14 days. Pharmacodynamic assessment of fibroblast growth factor 19 and fasting plasma lipids was performed after dosing. Overall, 95 volunteers received at least 1 tropifexor or placebo dose. Tropifexor was well tolerated up to 3000 µg and 100 µg in the SAD and MAD studies, respectively; however, 2 subjects discontinued the MAD study due to asymptomatic elevation of liver transaminases. At single doses, tropifexor showed a moderate rate of absorption (median time to maximum concentration, 4 hours), dose-proportional increases in exposure, and elimination half-life of 13.5 to 21.9 hours. When taken with food, tropifexor exposure increased by ∼60%. With multiple dosing, steady state was reached on day 4 with <2-fold accumulation. Single and multiple doses showed dose-dependent increases in fibroblast growth factor 19. No changes in serum lipids were observed in tropifexor- vs placebo-treated obese subjects. In conclusion, tropifexor was well tolerated, had a pharmacokinetic profile suitable for once-daily dosing and showed dose-dependent target engagement without altering plasma lipids in healthy volunteers.
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Obeticholic acid may increase the risk of gallstone formation in susceptible patients.
Al-Dury, S, Wahlström, A, Panzitt, K, Thorell, A, Ståhlman, M, Trauner, M, Fickert, P, Bäckhed, F, Fändriks, L, Wagner, M, et al
Journal of hepatology. 2019;(5):986-991
Abstract
BACKGROUND & AIMS The nuclear farnesoid X receptor (FXR) agonist obeticholic acid (OCA) has been developed for the treatment of liver diseases. We aimed to determine whether OCA treatment increases the risk of gallstone formation. METHODS Twenty patients awaiting laparoscopic cholecystectomy were randomized to treatment with OCA (25 mg/day) or placebo for 3 weeks until the day before surgery. Serum bile acids (BAs), the BA synthesis marker C4 (7α-hydroxy-4-cholesten-3-one), and fibroblast growth factor 19 (FGF19) were measured before and after treatment. During surgery, biopsies from the liver and the whole bile-filled gallbladder were collected for analyses of gene expression, biliary lipids and FGF19. RESULTS In serum, OCA increased FGF19 (from 95.0 ± 8.5 to 234.4 ± 35.6 ng/L) and decreased C4 (from 31.4 ± 22.8 to 2.8 ± 4.0 nmol/L) and endogenous BAs (from 1,312.2 ± 236.2 to 517.7 ± 178.9 nmol/L; all p <0.05). At surgery, BAs in gallbladder bile were lower in patients that received OCA than in controls (OCA, 77.9 ± 53.6 mmol/L; placebo, 196.4 ± 99.3 mmol/L; p <0.01), resulting in a higher cholesterol saturation index (OCA, 2.8 ± 1.1; placebo, 1.8 ± 0.8; p <0.05). In addition, hydrophobic OCA conjugates accounted for 13.6 ± 5.0% of gallbladder BAs after OCA treatment, resulting in a higher hydrophobicity index (OCA, 0.43 ± 0.09; placebo, 0.34 ± 0.07, p <0.05). Gallbladder FGF19 levels were 3-fold higher in OCA patients than in controls (OCA, 40.3 ± 16.5 ng/L; placebo, 13.5 ± 13.1 ng/ml; p <0.005). Gene expression analysis indicated that FGF19 mainly originated from the gallbladder epithelium. CONCLUSIONS Our results show for the first time an enrichment of FGF19 in human bile after OCA treatment. In accordance with its murine homolog FGF15, FGF19 might trigger relaxation and filling of the gallbladder which, in combination with increased cholesterol saturation and BA hydrophobicity, would enhance the risk of gallstone development. LAY SUMMARY Obeticholic acid increased human gallbladder cholesterol saturation and bile acid hydrophobicity, both decreasing cholesterol solubility in bile. Together with increased hepatobiliary levels of fibroblast growth factor 19, our findings suggest that pharmacological activation of the farnesoid X receptor increases the risk of gallstone formation. Clinical trial number: NCT01625026.
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Effects of obeticholic acid on lipoprotein metabolism in healthy volunteers.
Pencek, R, Marmon, T, Roth, JD, Liberman, A, Hooshmand-Rad, R, Young, MA
Diabetes, obesity & metabolism. 2016;(9):936-40
Abstract
The bile acid analogue obeticholic acid (OCA) is a selective farnesoid X receptor (FXR) agonist in development for treatment of several chronic liver diseases. FXR activation regulates lipoprotein homeostasis. The effects of OCA on cholesterol and lipoprotein metabolism in healthy individuals were assessed. Two phase I studies were conducted to evaluate the effects of repeated oral doses of 5, 10 or 25 mg OCA on lipid variables after 14 or 20 days of consecutive administration in 68 healthy adults. Changes in HDL and LDL cholesterol levels were examined, in addition to nuclear magnetic resonance analysis of particle sizes and sub-fraction concentrations. OCA elicited changes in circulating cholesterol and particle size of LDL and HDL. OCA decreased HDL cholesterol and increased LDL cholesterol, independently of dose. HDL particle concentrations declined as a result of a reduction in medium and small HDL. Total LDL particle concentrations increased because of an increase in large LDL particles. Changes in lipoprotein metabolism attributable to OCA in healthy individuals were found to be consistent with previously reported changes in patients receiving OCA with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease or non-alcoholic steatohepatitis.
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Ursodeoxycholic acid exerts farnesoid X receptor-antagonistic effects on bile acid and lipid metabolism in morbid obesity.
Mueller, M, Thorell, A, Claudel, T, Jha, P, Koefeler, H, Lackner, C, Hoesel, B, Fauler, G, Stojakovic, T, Einarsson, C, et al
Journal of hepatology. 2015;(6):1398-404
Abstract
BACKGROUND & AIMS Bile acids (BAs) are major regulators of hepatic BA and lipid metabolism but their mechanisms of action in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) are still poorly understood. Here we aimed to explore the molecular and biochemical mechanisms of ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) in modulating the cross-talk between liver and visceral white adipose tissue (vWAT) regarding BA and cholesterol metabolism and fatty acid/lipid partitioning in morbidly obese NAFLD patients. METHODS In this randomized controlled pharmacodynamic study, we analyzed serum, liver and vWAT samples from 40 well-matched morbidly obese patients receiving UDCA (20 mg/kg/day) or no treatment three weeks prior to bariatric surgery. RESULTS Short term UDCA administration stimulated BA synthesis by reducing circulating fibroblast growth factor 19 and farnesoid X receptor (FXR) activation, resulting in cholesterol 7α-hydroxylase induction mirrored by elevated C4 and 7α-hydroxycholesterol. Enhanced BA formation depleted hepatic and LDL-cholesterol with subsequent activation of the key enzyme of cholesterol synthesis 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA reductase. Blunted FXR anti-lipogenic effects induced lipogenic stearoyl-CoA desaturase (SCD) in the liver, thereby increasing hepatic triglyceride content. In addition, induced SCD activity in vWAT shifted vWAT lipid metabolism towards generation of less toxic and more lipogenic monounsaturated fatty acids such as oleic acid. CONCLUSION These data demonstrate that by exerting FXR-antagonistic effects, UDCA treatment in NAFLD patients strongly impacts on cholesterol and BA synthesis and induces neutral lipid accumulation in both liver and vWAT.