Inventiva launches clinical development of lanifibranor in Japan

Biopharmaceutical company Inventiva and its Japanese partner Hepalys Pharma, Inc. have launched a clinical development program for lanifibranor in Japan. This project begins with a Phase 1 study that has enrolled its first participant. This study will evaluate the safety, tolerability, as well as the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic aspects of the drug.

This development is part of a strategic partnership established in 2023 between Inventiva and Hepalys for the commercialization of lanifibranor in Japan and South Korea. The positive results of this study could allow the advancement to a Phase 3 study for Japanese patients with MASH, a liver disease.

This initiative marks an important milestone for both companies in their efforts to treat steatohepatitis associated with metabolic dysfunction in Japan, where up to 2.7% of the population is affected.