Theratechnologies Reports That Tesamorelin Improves Liver Health

Sub-analysis of MGH study helps better demonstrate how tesamorelin reduces liver fat

Positive impact of tesamorelin on oxidative phosphorylation, inflammation, tissue repair and cell division

MONTREAL, July 23, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Theratechnologies Inc. (Theratechnologies) (TSX: TH) (NASDAQ: THTX), a commercial-stage biopharmaceutical company, is pleased to announce new data that further support the potential role of tesamorelin in the treatment of HIV-associated nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). 
  
The new data were published in the recent online edition of JCI Insight and are derived from a sub-analysis of the Phase 2 study evaluating the effect of tesamorelin on the transcriptome of the liver biopsies in people living with HIV-associated nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) conducted at Massachusetts General Hospital and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and led by Dr. Steven Grinspoon.  The results of the Phase 2 study were previously published in the December 2019 issue of The Lancet HIV Journal.

“The data from this sub-analysis show that tesamorelin improves oxidative phosphorylation gene expression, and decreases gene expression involved in inflammation, tissue repair, and cell division. In addition, tesamorelin shifted hepatic gene expression toward a profile associated with a favorable HCC prognosis. These findings suggest potential novel clinical benefits of tesamorelin in liver health,” said Dr. Christian Marsolais, Senior Vice President and Chief Medical Officer, Theratechnologies Inc.  “The data also support the clinical relevance for the development of tesamorelin as a potential treatment for liver diseases.”   

The sub-analysis of paired liver biopsy specimens from patients participating in the Phase 2 study using Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) assessed the effect of tesamorelin on hepatic transcriptomic signature of HIV-associated NAFLD/NASH.  Results demonstrated that tesamorelin had a positive effect on gene expression related to oxidative phosphorylation and decreased gene expression related to inflammation, tissue repair and cell division.   Furthermore, treatment with tesamorelin led to improvement of genes associated with favorable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) prognosis,