emricasan

Emricasan is an orally active, irreversible pan-caspase inhibitor designed to reduce the activity of enzymes that mediate inflammation and apoptosis. By inhibiting caspases, emricasan aims to prevent hepatocyte death and the subsequent inflammatory response that leads to fibrosis and cirrhosis. Originally developed by Conatus Pharmaceuticals, it was extensively studied for non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and portal hypertension, though it failed to meet primary endpoints in several Phase 2b trials. Following a merger with Histogen, the drug's focus shifted toward infectious and inflammatory diseases, including COVID-19 and acute bacterial skin and skin structure infections (ABSSSI), through a partnership with Amerimmune. It has also been explored in preclinical settings for sensitizing TP53-mutant acute myeloid leukemia (AML) cells to immunotherapy by shifting cell death toward immunogenic necroptosis.

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emricasan