During the conference’s poster session, OliX revealed preclinical study results of OLX702A, addressing key mechanisms involved in NASH and obesity. The Company’s NASH with fibrosis / Obesity program derives from a robust target discovered from a genome-wide association study (GWAS), a research approach to identifying genomic variants involving a large group of people.

According to the OliX’s presentation, the Company had seen synergistic effects when OLX702A was administered in combination with semaglutide, an anti-obesity drug imitating glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1), a hormone that helps people feel satiated. The combination data demonstrated an additional 10% reduction in weight compared to administering semaglutide alone. Metabolic analysis suggests that the weight loss caused by OLX702A treatment is due to the increase in energy expenditure, which is distinct from incretin-based anti-obesity drugs like semaglutide. In addition, the Company presented data showing the efficacy of reversing liver fibrosis and inducing the reduction of liver fat content.

“Through various preclinical studies, OLX702A was found to have significant effects not only in treating NASH accompanied by liver fibrosis but also in reducing weight,” said an OliX Pharmaceuticals official. “In particular, we can expect the high potential of OLX702A as a novel treatment in treating multiple metabolic diseases as it works distinctively from semaglutide. We look forward to seeing more efficacy in forthcoming combination studies.”