ESPR Aims to Diversify With Rare Liver Disease Candidate, Stock Up

Core Insights - Esperion Therapeutics (ESPR) has nominated ESP-2001, a specific allosteric ATP citrate lyase (ACLY) inhibitor, as a new preclinical development candidate for treating primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC), a rare autoimmune liver disease with no approved treatments [1][7] - The company plans to initiate IND-enabling studies for ESP-2001 and submit an IND application to the FDA, aiming to start clinical studies in 2026 [2] - ESP-2001 has shown potential in reducing liver and bile duct injury, inflammation, and fibrosis in preclinical studies, indicating its ability to impact PSC progression [3] Company Developments - Esperion's stock rose by 5.2% following the announcement of ESP-2001 [2] - The collaboration with Evotec (EVO) was crucial in discovering ESP-2001, combining Esperion's expertise in ACLY therapy with Evotec's drug discovery platform [2][3] - The nomination of ESP-2001 triggered an undisclosed payment to Evotec [3] Financial Performance - Esperion's net product sales of Nexletol and Nexlizet in the U.S. grew by 42% in the first half of 2025, reaching $75.2 million, driven by increased prescription volumes [10] - Esperion aims to diversify its portfolio beyond cardiovascular diseases into the liver disorder market, targeting a potential market opportunity exceeding $1 billion annually with ESP-2001 [10] Market Position - Esperion currently holds a Zacks Rank of 3 (Hold) [11] - The company has two FDA-approved drugs, Nexletol and Nexlizet, which are marketed under different names in ex-U.S. markets [8][9]