Terns Pharmaceuticals to Present Positive Preclinical Data on FXR Agonist TERN-101 at The Liver Meeting® 2019
15.10.2019 12:00:00 EEST | Business Wire | Press release
Terns Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a global biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering and developing innovative therapies to treat non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and cancer, today announced it will present preclinical study results on the farnesoid X receptor (FXR) agonist TERN-101 at The Liver Meeting® 2019, being held by the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD) in Boston, MA., November 8-12. The data demonstrate that in preclinical models, TERN-101 was preferentially delivered to the liver, which enables a robust, localized effect on FXR, while potentially mitigating non-liver mediated adverse effects.
The abstract (#2158), titled “Pharmacokinetics, tissue distribution and pharmacodynamics of TERN-101, a novel farnesoid X receptor (FXR) agonist, in preclinical species” will be presented as a poster on Monday, November 11, 2019.
“TERN-101 has the potential to be the backbone of future combination treatments for NASH due to its broad pleiotropic effects of FXR agonism on multiple pathogenetic mechanisms of NASH,” said Erin Quirk, M.D., Chief Medical Officer of Terns. “Our preclinical data show that TERN-101 is efficiently enriched in the liver, the target organ for FXR activity against NASH, which could potentially mitigate non-liver mediated tolerability issues associated with systemic FXR activation.”
TERN-101 has been advanced into clinical studies. A Phase 1 trial demonstrated clinical pharmacokinetic properties consistent with once-daily dosing. At The International Liver Congress™ 2019 in Vienna, Terns presented preclinical data demonstrating that TERN-101 reduced liver steatosis, inflammation, ballooning, and fibrosis in a preclinical model of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH).
TERN-101 and TERN-201, a semicarbazide-sensitive amine oxidase (SSAO) inhibitor, are both in development for the treatment of NASH and were initially discovered and developed by Eli Lilly and Company. Terns signed a global, exclusive agreement with Eli Lilly in 2018 to develop, manufacture, and commercialize TERN-101, TERN-201, and another preclinical candidate that inhibits an undisclosed NASH target.
About TERN-101 and Farnesoid X Receptor (FXR) Agonism
TERN-101 is a potent non-bile acid FXR agonist being developed as a therapeutic for NASH. FXR is a nuclear receptor that is highly expressed in the liver and small intestine. Bile acids (BA) are natural ligands of FXR, and their binding with and activation of FXR is critical to the regulation of cellular pathways that modulate BA synthesis, lipid metabolism, inflammation, and fibrosis. FXR agonism and activation has demonstrated improvement over placebo in regression of histological liver fibrosis without progression to NASH in a late-stage study, demonstrating the potential for FXR agonists to be a new treatment modality for NAFLD and NASH.
About NASH
Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is a severe form of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), which is caused by the accumulation of excess fat in the liver. NASH is associated with chronic liver inflammation and liver cell injury, and it can lead to fibrosis, cirrhosis, and eventually liver cancer or liver failure. Global rates of NAFLD and NASH are increasing rapidly, in tandem with rising rates of obesity. There is currently no approved medication for the treatment of NASH.
About Terns Pharmaceuticals
Terns Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is a clinical-stage pharmaceutical company that is focused on the discovery and development of medicines for chronic liver disease and cancer. Based in China and the United States, the company is advancing a pipeline of drug candidates for the treatment of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and cancer, across multiple modalities. Terns leverages world class expertise in disease biology, medicinal chemistry, and clinical development in order to bring promising new therapies to patients in China and other global markets.
For more information, visit www.ternspharma.com and www.ternspharma.com.cn
To view this piece of content from cts.businesswire.com, please give your consent at the top of this page.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20191015005032/en/
Contact information
US Media Contact:
Margaret Robinson
+1 (415) 690 0084
China Media Contact:
Zhou Zhou
+86 13482103703
About Business Wire
For more than 50 years, Business Wire has been the global leader in press release distribution and regulatory disclosure.
Subscribe to releases from Business Wire
Subscribe to all the latest releases from Business Wire by registering your e-mail address below. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Latest releases from Business Wire
Geoswift and SKUx Announce Strategic Partnership to Develop a First-of-Its-Kind Programmable Stablecoin Commerce Network29.6.2026 15:00:00 EEST | Press release
Geoswift and SKUx announced a groundbreaking partnership to develop a next-generation programmable stablecoin commerce network. This strategic collaboration bridges digital assets, traditional finance, and real-world commerce at a global scale, representing a "one-of-one" opportunity by combining Geoswift's global infrastructure with SKUx's specialized item-level controls directly within point-of-sale (POS) systems. While enterprise stablecoin usage continues to accelerate globally, governments, enterprises, payment networks, and AI-driven commerce platforms are increasingly seeking programmable payment infrastructure that can bridge digital assets with real-world commerce. The innovation goes far beyond treasury management or even enabling consumers to spend stablecoins at retail locations. Instead, it unlocks true "programmable money" with embedded controls, rules, and purpose-driven utility —requiring both programmable settlement and programmable spending controls. Geoswift and SKUx
Esri Sponsors Smithsonian Exhibition Showcasing Natural and Cultural Objects from All 50 States29.6.2026 15:00:00 EEST | Press release
Esri, the global leader in location intelligence, is sponsoring From These Lands: Sharing Our Natural and Cultural Heritage, a new exhibition at the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History that showcases objects from all 50 states and explores the deep connections between people, place, and the natural world that unite the nation. The exhibit, which opened this June 18 and runs through 2029, brings together more than 600 specimens and cultural artifacts from across the United States, Washington, DC, and the five territories that people call home. Drawing from the museum's own collection, From These Lands shows how natural systems, cultural traditions, and geography intersect. The exhibition presents stories that span millions of years—from ancient fossils and geological formations to cultural artifacts and scientific breakthroughs—inviting visitors to reflect on their own sense of place. By pairing natural specimens with cultural objects, From These Lands demonstrates how huma
Cartilage Tissue Engineering Heads to Orbit in NSF and NASA-supported Study at the International Space Station29.6.2026 15:00:00 EEST | Press release
Researchers in the DELTAi Lab at the University of California, Irvine, working with NASA, are using Evercode Cell Fixation to preserve samples aboard the International Space Station as part of a study of cartilage tissue engineering in microgravity. The unprecedented work, part of a National Science Foundation (NSF)-funded grant led by Dr. Wendy Brown and Dr. Kyriacos Athanasiou, announced today by Parse Biosciences, aims to advance treatments for the hundreds of millions of people worldwide affected by cartilage injury. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260629548658/en/ Rachel Nordberg, PhD, from the DELTAi Lab at UC Irvine, prepping the BioServe device before it goes into orbit. Cartilage injuries cause significant pain and disability, and the need for implants that can repair or regenerate damaged tissue without harming a donor site has gone unmet for decades. Part of the difficulty is gravity itself, which m
Court Clears Biocytogen’s RenNano ® in Landmark Patent Dispute Against Harbour29.6.2026 14:55:00 EEST | Press release
Biocytogen Pharmaceuticals (Beijing) Co., Ltd. ("Biocytogen," SSE: 688796; HKEX: 02315) today announced that it has received a first-instance civil judgment from the Shanghai Intellectual Property Court. The court ruled that Biocytogen did not infringe the relevant patent rights asserted by the plaintiff, Harbour Antibodies BV ("Harbour"), and ordered the plaintiff to bear the litigation costs. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260629347368/en/ Court Clears Biocytogen’s RenNano® in Landmark Patent Dispute Against Harbour The judgment marks a significant first-instance outcome in the litigation and further affirms the independent innovation and intellectual property compliance of Biocytogen's core technology platforms. It also provides greater clarity for existing and prospective partners evaluating the RenNano® platform, reinforcing confidence in the Company's technology platforms and long-term innovation capabi
MANE Selects Kinaxis to Strengthen Global Planning Capabilities29.6.2026 14:00:00 EEST | Press release
Kinaxis®(TSX:KXS), a global leader in end-to-end supply chain planning and orchestration, today announced that MANE, one of the top five leading organizations worldwide in the flavours and fragrances industry, has selected Kinaxis to modernize its planning capabilities as it accelerates global growth as part of a broader enterprise-wide transformation initiative. Headquartered in the south of France, with a significant global footprint spanning multiple regions and customers across international markets, MANE is known for its innovation, technical expertise and strong commitment to sustainability. The company is investing in more connected, end-to-end planning capabilities to support continued growth and increasing operational complexity worldwide. Following an extensive evaluation process with major competitors in the market, MANE selected the Kinaxis Maestro platform for its proven ability to support complex, multi‑region planning environments with speed, transparency, and confidence
In our pressroom you can read all our latest releases, find our press contacts, images, documents and other relevant information about us.
Visit our pressroom