Treatment of Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis with Cenicriviroc: Results at 2 Years

Cenicriviroc (CVC) is a first-in-class dual CCR2/5 antagonist with potent anti-inflammatory and antifibrotic properties. The 1-year results of a 2-year phase IIb study showed that CVC treatment for nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) in patients with fibrosis appears to be safe and effective in reducing fibrosis: Twice as many patients on CVC had ≥1-stage improvement in fibrosis than those on placebo (20% vs. 10%; P=0.02) without overall improvement in NASH histologic activity (NEJM JW Gastroenterol Oct 2017 and Hepatology 2018; 67:1754). The final results of the 2-year study are now reported.

The 2-year data suggest no further improvement in fibrosis beyond that observed after a year. Furthermore, patients who switched from placebo to CVC a…