Daewoong Pharmaceutical's diabetes drug Enblo (ingredient name: inavogliflozin) has shown improvement in fatty liver indicators in up to 67% of patients.
On July 9, Daewoong Pharmaceutical announced that research confirming the liver steatosis improvement effects of the SGLT-2 inhibitor Enblo was published in the SCI-level international journal Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism.
The study analyzed the effects of Enblo on metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MASLD), which is commonly associated with type 2 diabetes. As the prevalence of fatty liver among diabetes patients has increased, the need for treatments that improve both blood sugar control and liver metabolism has grown.
MASLD is a condition characterized by excessive fat accumulation in the liver, which, if left untreated, can increase the risk of liver disease and cardiovascular issues.
The research team conducted a meta-analysis of three clinical trial datasets obtained during the Enblo approval process. They evaluated the treatment effects over 24 weeks in a total of 587 type 2 diabetes patients, measuring the degree of liver fat accumulation using the Hepatic Steatosis Index (HSI) and the Framingham Steatosis Index (FSI).
At the start of the study, nearly half of the patients were found to have fatty liver. The analysis revealed that a higher percentage of patients in the Enblo treatment group showed improved fatty liver indicators compared to the placebo group.
Specifically, the number of patients with fatty liver based on HSI criteria decreased from 36 (48.0%) to 12 (16.0%), indicating about a 67% recovery to normal range. Similarly, based on FSI criteria, the number of patients in the at-risk group dropped from 31 (41.3%) to 12 (16.0%), showing approximately 61% improvement.
In comparison with the same class drug dapagliflozin, Enblo demonstrated greater improvement, with the fatty liver index decreasing by an additional 1.02 points, entering the normal range.
This study is significant as it utilizes existing clinical data for a post-hoc analysis, suggesting for the first time that Enblo may positively impact not only blood sugar control but also the reduction of liver fat accumulation.
Professor Jeong In-kyung of the Endocrinology Department at Kangdong Kyunghee University Hospital, the corresponding author of the paper, stated, "The results suggest that Enblo can contribute to liver metabolic improvement beyond blood sugar control in patients with type 2 diabetes."
Meanwhile, analysts estimate that Daewoong Pharmaceutical's consolidated sales for the second quarter will reach 431.6 billion won, a 6% increase from the same period last year, with operating profit expected to rise 17% to 67.8 billion won. This operating profit is about 45% higher than the market consensus of 46.9 billion won. Compared to the previous quarter, sales are anticipated to increase by 14%, and operating profit by 205%.
Park Jong-hyun, a researcher at Daol Investment & Securities, noted, "Exports to the U.S. for Evolus are expected to continue in the third quarter, leading to profit growth compared to the previous quarter," and projected Daewoong Pharmaceutical's sales and operating profit for the year to be 1.6826 trillion won and 225.9 billion won, respectively.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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