Lipoprotein

• SYNCHRONY Histology is evaluating the safety and efficacy of 28 and 50mg doses of efruxifermin (EFX) in patients with biopsy confirmed pre-cirrhotic MASH (F2-F3).
• Additional patients will be enrolled and followed for long-term clinical outcomes to support an application for full marketing approval.
• In the fourth quarter of 2023, Akero reported results for the week 36 analysis of the Phase 2b SYMMETRY study in patients with cirrhosis due to MASH.
• Akero's cash, cash equivalents, short-term and long-term marketable securities for the year ended December 31, 2023 were $569.3 million.

• SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif., Nov. 13, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Akero Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: AKRO), a clinical-stage company developing transformational treatments for patients with serious metabolic diseases marked by high unmet medical need, today reported third quarter financial results for the period ending September 30, 2023 and provided business updates.
• Key secondary endpoints will include changes in biomarkers of liver fibrosis as well as measures of glycemic control and lipids.
• Akero's cash, cash equivalents and short-term and long-term marketable securities for the period ended September 30, 2023 were $613.0 million.
• Total operating expenses were $46.6 million for the three-month period ended September 30, 2023, compared to $36.1 million for the comparable period in 2022.

• In addition, 4% of patients in each of the EFX-treated groups experienced a three- or two-stage fibrosis improvement without worsening of NASH – from compensated cirrhosis (F4) to F1 or F2, compared with 0% for placebo.
• Statistically significant improvements were also observed for both EFX groups in non-invasive markers of liver injury and fibrosis, insulin sensitization and lipoproteins.
• I’m encouraged that statistically significant improvements on multiple measures of NASH pathogenesis were observed in EFX-treated patients.
• This underlines the high unmet medical need to at least arrest progression or preferably reverse cirrhosis due to NASH.

• You’ve six months to work on your diet to see if that’ll bring down your levels, then you’ll review your options.
• But there’s some good evidence that taking particular supplements, while also eating a healthy diet, can make a difference.

Why are we so worried about cholesterol?

• Low-density lipoprotein or LDL cholesterol This is often called “bad” cholesterol.
• This lipoprotein helps remove excess cholesterol from the bloodstream and transports it back to the liver for processing and excretion.
• Diet can play a key role in reducing blood cholesterol levels, especially LDL (“bad”) cholesterol.

Fibre is your friend

• An additional way to significantly reduce your total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol levels through diet is by eating more soluble fibre.
• This is a type of fibre that dissolves in water to form a gel-like substance in your gut.

Fibre supplements, such as psyllium

There are also many fibre supplements and food-based products on the market that may help lower cholesterol. These include:
• Psyllium is the fibre supplement with the strongest evidence to support its use in improving cholesterol levels.
• These trials show consuming about 10g of psyllium a day (1 tablespoon), as part of a healthy diet, can significantly lower total cholesterol levels by 4% and LDL cholesterol levels by 7%.

Probiotics

• Probiotics are thought to help lower cholesterol levels via a number of mechanisms.
• Using probiotics to reduce cholesterol is an upcoming area of interest and the research is promising.
• Most of these studies use probiotics containing Lactobacillus acidophilus and Bifidobacterium lactis, which come in capsules or powders and are consumed daily.

Red yeast rice

• Red yeast rice is another non-fibre supplement that has gained attention for lowering cholesterol.
• It found taking red yeast rice supplements (200-4,800mg a day) was more effective for lowering blood fats known as triglycerides but less effective at lowering total cholesterol compared with statins.
• However, these trials don’t tell us if red yeast rice works and is safe in the long term.

Diet and supplements may not be enough

• Always speak to your GP and dietitian about your plan to take supplements to lower your cholesterol.
• But remember, dietary changes alone – with or without supplements – might not be enough to lower your cholesterol levels sufficiently.
• Even then, depending on your cholesterol levels and other risk factors, you may still be recommended cholesterol-lowering medications, such as statins.