GSK acquires Efimosfermin for US$2B to boost liver disease portfolio
USUK— British pharmaceutical giant GSK has announced a major acquisition deal valued at up to US$2 billion to obtain efimosfermin, a promising drug developed by Boston Pharmaceuticals for the treatment of steatotic liver disease (SLD).
This agreement comes just a day after GSK dropped a US$625 million cancer asset, signaling a strategic shift towards liver disease therapies
Under the terms of the deal, GSK will pay US$1.2 billion upfront to acquire BP Asset IX, a subsidiary of Boston Pharmaceuticals that holds efimosfermin.
Additionally, GSK has agreed to pay up to $800 million in milestone payments contingent on the drug’s success, along with tiered royalties to Novartis, the original owner of the therapy.
Efimosfermin is a once-monthly subcutaneous injection designed to treat and prevent the progression of SLD, a condition characterized by fat accumulation in liver cells
If untreated, SLD can progress to more severe liver damage such as fibrosis and cirrhosis. The drug is administered once monthly via a subcutaneous injection and is a long-acting analog of fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21).
It works by regulating metabolic pathways to reduce liver fat and inflammation and to reverse liver fibrosis.
The drug has shown promising results in a Phase II trial involving patients with moderate-to-advanced metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH), a form of SLD.
In this study, 14 out of 31 patients treated with efimosfermin experienced at least a one-stage improvement in fibrosis without disease progression, compared to only 7 out of 34 in the placebo group.
Efimosfermin’s monthly dosing offers a potential advantage over other FGF21 drugs in development, such as Akero Therapeutics’ efruxifermin and 89bio’s pegozafermin, which require weekly doses.
GSK also plans to explore combining efimosfermin with its in-house siRNA therapeutic GSK’990 to target more advanced stages of liver disease.
The market for MASH treatments is expected to grow significantly, with GlobalData projecting sales of US$25.7 billion by 2032 across major markets including the US, Europe, and Japan.
The field gained momentum in March 2024 when Madrigal Pharmaceuticals’ Rezdiffra became the first FDA-approved treatment for MASH.
GSK’s Chief Scientific Officer Tony Wood emphasized the strategic importance of this acquisition, stating that efimosfermin will expand GSK’s hepatology pipeline and could become a best-in-class medicine with a launch expected in 2029.
He also highlighted the potential for combination therapies to improve patient outcomes in liver diseases.
This acquisition aligns with GSK’s renewed focus on immune system-related science and liver disease, following its recent decision to drop an anti-TIGIT antibody asset acquired for $625 million just a day earlier.
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