Last year, Chemomab reported that participants in the Phase 2 SPRING study treated with nebokitug, especially those with moderate/advanced disease, showed improvements on a wide range of PSC-related disease markers such as routine liver blood test results, Fibroscan scores and Enhanced Liver Fibrosis (ELF) scores, suggesting that nebokitug has an effect on the hallmarks of PSC damage: inflammation and scarring in the liver and bile ducts.

We were encouraged by these early findings, but the study was short (15 weeks). Now the company has released data from 48 weeks which support the initial findings seen at 15 weeks.

Of note, the company highlights that taking nebokitug over 48 weeks seems to:

• reduce the risk of disease progression
• show continued improvement in markers of fibrosis:
  • improving liver blood tests relating to fibrosis in those with moderate/advanced disease receiving 20mg/kg dose
  • reducing progression of liver stiffness compared to historical controls (liver stiffness is thought to reflect the level of liver damage)
• be safe and well tolerated
• limit the frequency of disease-related clinical events

The last bullet point is interesting and arguably the most important for people with PSC. It suggests that people taking nebokitug experience fewer complications than those who don’t. Many people with PSC feel that their liver blood tests and scan results don’t always reflect how they feel and function. Measuring the number of PSC complications (‘disease-related clinical events’) can be more meaningful as this reflects the reality of having PSC. Chemomab is planning to focus on exactly that for the next stage of their nebokitug research.