The French and the Swiss want to conquer the market for the fight against rare and severe liver diseases.
Genfit joins forces with Swiss Versantis | Photo credit: Shutterstock
To achieve its goal and become a world leader in ACLF, or acute decompensation of cirrhosis, the French company Genfit has just signed an exclusive agreement for the acquisition of all of Versantis, a Swiss biotech operating, like it, in the field of liver disease.
Three main compounds
Founded in 2005, Versantis has a pipeline of three lead compounds, one of which is in late clinical stage. Her name ? VS-01. It is a therapeutic product candidate first-in-class innovative liposome-based drug currently in clinical development as a first-line therapy for rapid recovery from ACLF and urea cycle disorder (UCD). ” If approved, it would be the first drug to use the intraperitoneal route to simultaneously support the liver, kidney and brain, the organs most often failing in cirrhotic patients. says Genfit. A phase 2 proof-of-concept, randomized trial, conducted on 60 patients, should be launched in the fourth quarter. The first efficacy and safety data should be unveiled in the first half of 2024. In the United States and in Europe, it benefits from an accelerated regulatory process, having obtained the status ofOrphan Drug Designation (or orphan drug) in ACLF and UCD across the Atlantic and in acute liver failure on the Old Continent. The United States also granted him the designation of Rare Pediatric diseases Designation (a rare pediatric disease) for the acute treatment of UCD.
With this acquisition, Genfit will expand its portfolio to other products, including the preclinical drug candidate VS-02, intended to treat cases of chronic hepatic encephalitis, a neurological disease occurring following liver disease, and TS -01, a bedside diagnostic tool. In addition, Versantis is eligible for one-third of the net revenue resulting from the potential sale of the Pediatric Review Voucher for the pediatric indication of VS-01 by Genfit, or one-third of the fair market value of such Voucher if Genfit chooses to apply to one of its programs. At this stage, after integration of Versantis, Genfit will have the necessary cash to carry out its activities for at least two years.
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