OliX Pharmaceuticals Announces Results from Preclinical Study of NASH Therapeutic Candidate 

- OLX702 reversed liver tissue damage in mouse model of NASH

- Results and pipeline status across hair loss, AMD and HBV programs presented at 48th KAST International Symposium

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SUWON, Republic of Korea, August 4, 2021 – OliX Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (KOSDAQ: 226950), a leading developer of RNAi therapeutics, today presented preclinical data on OLX702A, an investigational therapeutic for the treatment of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), at the 48th Korean Academy of Science and Technology (KAST) International Symposium. In the study, OLX702A reversed tissue damage in the liver in a mouse model of NASH.

OLX702A is a GalNAc-conjugated asymmetric siRNA (asiRNA) that targets a novel gene which is validated as a NASH-related target based on a genome-wide association study (GWAS). NASH is a condition in which excess fat accumulates in the liver along with inflammation that is not caused by heavy alcohol use. It is often accompanied by health conditions such as obesity or metabolic syndrome. NASH is one of the most common liver diseases worldwide and can cause cirrhosis, liver failure and liver cancer.

In a mouse model of high-fat diet-induced NASH, mice receiving OLX702A showed weight loss of more than 10% on average, reduced levels of markers correlated with liver damage and lipid levels in the blood, and restoration of fatty liver tissues almost to a normal level.

“There is tremendous need for medicines to treat NASH given there are currently no approved drugs on the market. We look forward to progressing development of OLX702A based on these encouraging preclinical data,” said Dong Ki Lee, Ph.D., founder and chief executive officer of OliX Pharmaceuticals.  

The full presentation can be viewed on YouTube here.