Research Article Details
Article ID: | A17704 |
PMID: | 27646933 |
Source: | Gut |
Title: | Current and upcoming pharmacotherapy for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. |
Abstract: | Given the high prevalence and rising incidence of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), the absence of approved therapies is striking. Although the mainstay of treatment of NAFLD is weight loss, it is hard to maintain, prompting the need for pharmacotherapy as well. A greater understanding of disease pathogenesis in recent years was followed by development of new classes of medications, as well as potential repurposing of currently available agents. NAFLD therapies target four main pathways. The dominant approach is targeting hepatic fat accumulation and the resultant metabolic stress. Medications in this group include peroxisome proliferator-activator receptor agonists (eg, pioglitazone, elafibranor, saroglitazar), medications targeting the bile acid-farnesoid X receptor axis (obeticholic acid), inhibitors of de novo lipogenesis (aramchol, NDI-010976), incretins (liraglutide) and fibroblast growth factor (FGF)-21 or FGF-19 analogues. A second approach is targeting the oxidative stress, inflammation and injury that follow the metabolic stress. Medications from this group include antioxidants (vitamin E), medications with a target in the tumour necrosis factor α pathway (emricasan, pentoxifylline) and immune modulators (amlexanox, cenicriviroc). A third group has a target in the gut, including antiobesity agents such as orlistat or gut microbiome modulators (IMM-124e, faecal microbial transplant, solithromycin). Finally, as the ongoing injury leads to fibrosis, the harbinger of liver-related morbidity and mortality, antifibrotics (simtuzumab and GR-MD-02) will be an important element of therapy. It is very likely that in the next few years several medications will be available to clinicians treating patients with NAFLD across the entire spectrum of disease. |
DOI: | 10.1136/gutjnl-2016-312431 |

Strategy ID | Therapy Strategy | Synonyms | Therapy Targets | Therapy Drugs | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
S08 | Lifestyle measures | Lifestyle intervention; weight loss; diet adaptation; dietary interventions; lifestyle modifications; Exercise | -- | -- | Details |
S03 | Anti-fibrosis | fibrosis | Angiotensin Receptor Blocker (ARB); CCR2/CCR5 antagonist; Thyroid receptor β agonist; PEGylated human FGF21 analogue; Monoclonal antibody to lysyl oxidase-like 2 (LOXL2); Galectin-3 inhibitor; FGF19 variant | Losartan; Cenicriviroc; VK-2809; MGL-3196; Pegbelfermin; Simtuzumab; GR-MD-02; NGM282 | Details |
S04 | Anti-oxidative stress | oxidative stress | α-tocopherol: antioxidant | Vitamin E | Details |
S07 | Anti-lipogenesis | de novo lipogenesis; de novo lipogenesis; DNL; anti-lipogenic mechanisms; adipogenesis; anti-obesity | stearoyl-CoA desaturase 1 (SCD-1); Acetyl-coenzyme carboxylase; acyl-CoA carboxylase inhibitor (ACC inhibitor); stearoyl Coenzyme A desaturase inhibitor (SCD inhibitor); THR-beta selective agonist; DGAT2 inhibitor; FASN inhibitor | Aramchol; Firsocostat (GS-0976); VK-2809; ION 224 | Details |
Diseases ID | DO ID | Disease Name | Definition | Class | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
I14 | 9970 | Obesity | An overnutrition that is characterized by excess body fat, traditionally defined as an elevated ratio of weight to height (specifically 30 kilograms per meter squared), has_material_basis_in a multifactorial etiology related to excess nutrition intake, decreased caloric utilization, and genetic susceptibility, and possibly medications and certain disorders of metabolism, endocrine function, and mental illness. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Obesity | disease of metabolism/acquired metabolic disease/ nutrition disease/overnutrition | Details |
Drug ID | Drug Name | Type | DrugBank ID | Targets | Category | Latest Progress | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
D260 | Orlistat | Chemical drug | DB01083 | FASN inhibitor | Enhance lipid metabolism | Under clinical trials | Details |
D388 | Vitamin E | Supplement | DB00163 | NR1I2; ALOX5; DGKA | Anti-inflammatory | Under clinical trials | Details |
D136 | Firsocostat | Chemical drug | DB16166 | ACC inhibitor | Enhance lipid metabolism | Under clinical trials | Details |
D010 | Amoxicillin | Chemical drug | DB01060 | -- | -- | Under clinical trials | Details |
D266 | Pentoxifylline | Chemical drug | DB00806 | ADORA2A antagonist; ADORA1 antagonist; PDE4A inhibitor; PDE3B inhibitor; PDE4B inhibitor; PDE5A inhibitor; PDE8A inhibitor; PDE4C inhibitor; PDE11A inhibitor; PDE7A inhibitor; PDE7B inhibitor; PDE4D inhibitor; PDE3A inhibitor | Anti-inflammatory; Cardiovascular drug | Under clinical trials | Details |
D013 | Aramchol | Chemical drug | DB11860 | SCD-1 | Enhance lipid metabolism | Under clinical trials | Details |
D018 | Aspirin | Chemical drug | DB00945 | AKR1C1 inhibitor; PCNA downregulator | Enhance lipid metabolism | Under clinical trials | Details |
D275 | Pioglitazone | Chemical drug | DB01132 | PPARG agonist | Improve insulin resistance | Advanced in clinical trials | Details |
D028 | Belapectin | Chemical drug | DB15125 | Gelactin-3 inhibitor; LGALS3 inhibitor | Anti-fibrosis | Failed in clinical trials | Details |
D181 | IMM-124E | Biological drug | -- | LPS | Gut microbiome modulator | Under clinical trials | Details |
D321 | Saroglitazar | Chemical drug | DB13115 | PPARA agonist; PPARG agonist | Antidiabetic drug | Approved in India | Details |
D579 | Emfilermin | Miscellany | -- | adipocytes | Enhance lipid metabolism | Under investigation | Details |
D068 | Cenicriviroc | Chemical drug | DB11758 | CCR2 inhibitor; CCR5 inhibitor | Anti-fibrosis | Failed in clinical trials | Details |
D207 | Liraglutide | Biological drug | DB06655 | GLP1R activator; GLP1R agonist; GCG receptor antagonist activity | Improve insulin resistance | Under clinical trials | Details |
D337 | Simtuzumab | Biological drug | DB12152 | LOXL2; antibody | Anti-fibrosis; Anticancer agent; Immunomodulator; | Failed in clinical trials | Details |
D465 | Amlexanox | Chemical drug | DB01025 | -- | -- | Under clinical trials | Details |
D083 | CLA | Chemical drug | DB01211 | KCNH2; SLCO1B1; SLCO1B3 | -- | Under clinical trials | Details |
D342 | Solithromycin | Chemical drug | DB09308 | NF-kB inhibitor | Antibiotic drug, anti-inflammatory | Under clinical trials | Details |
D119 | Elafibranor | Chemical drug | DB05187 | PPARA; PPARD; PPARG | Anti-inflammatory | Failed in clinical trials | Details |
D248 | Obeticholic Acid | Chemical drug | DB05990 | NR1H4 activator; NR1H4 agonist; FXR agonist | Enhance lipid metabolism | Approval rejected | Details |
D123 | Emricasan | Chemical drug | DB05408 | caspase inhibitor | Anti-inflammatory | Failed in clinical trials | Details |