GSK completes $2 billion acquisition of liver disease drug efimosfermin

Published 07/07/2025, 16:04
GSK completes $2 billion acquisition of liver disease drug efimosfermin

LONDON - GSK plc (LSE/NYSE:GSK) has completed its acquisition of efimosfermin alfa from Boston Pharmaceuticals, the company announced Monday.

The deal, valued at up to $2 billion, includes an upfront payment of $1.2 billion and potential milestone payments of up to $800 million. GSK will also be responsible for milestone payments and tiered royalties owed to Novartis (SIX:NOVN) Pharma AG.

Efimosfermin is a phase III-ready investigational treatment for steatotic liver disease (SLD), specifically targeting metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH) and alcohol-related liver disease (ALD). The drug is administered as a once-monthly subcutaneous injection.

The acquisition expands GSK’s hepatology pipeline, which focuses on treatments for liver diseases including chronic hepatitis B, ALD, and MASH.

"The close of our acquisition for efimosfermin alfa represents a significant expansion of our hepatology pipeline aimed at addressing steatotic and viral drivers of liver disease," said Kaivan Khavandi, SVP & Global Head, Respiratory, Immunology & Inflammation R&D at GSK.

MASH and ALD currently have limited treatment options despite being leading causes of liver transplants in the United States. GSK believes efimosfermin has potential to address advanced stages of SLD through its antifibrotic mechanism of action.

The company sees potential for combining efimosfermin with GSK’990, its siRNA therapeutic in development for other SLD patient subsets. GSK anticipates a potential first launch for efimosfermin in 2029.

Efimosfermin is designed to regulate key metabolic pathways to decrease liver fat, reduce liver inflammation, and reverse liver fibrosis in patients with MASH. The drug is currently in trials for moderate to advanced fibrosis, including cirrhosis, and is not approved in any market.

The acquisition was made through the purchase of BP (NYSE:BP) Asset IX, Inc., a subsidiary of Boston Pharmaceuticals, according to the company’s press release statement.

This article was generated with the support of AI and reviewed by an editor. For more information see our T&C.

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