Pemvidutide's Potential in Liver Diseases - Pemvidutide targets both liver and metabolic components with a differentiated 1:1 glucagon/GLP-1 ratio, showing potential in various steatotic liver diseases[10] - The IMPACT Phase 2b trial of Pemvidutide in MASH patients showed promising 24-week data, with 48-week data and an FDA meeting expected in Q4 2025[14] - Pemvidutide demonstrated a favorable tolerability profile with no dose titration, and a low rate of AEs leading to treatment discontinuation (1.2% in the 1.8 mg group)[55] MASH (NASH) Market and Clinical Data - The IMPACT Phase 2b trial enrolled 212 subjects with MASH (F2/F3), liver fat content ≥ 8%, and BMI ≥ 27.0 kg/m2, HbA1c < 9.5%[23] - Pemvidutide shows potential for best-in-class MASH resolution without worsening of fibrosis[24] - IMPACT data shows significant weight loss at 24 weeks, addressing an underlying cause of MASH[48] - In a Phase 2 obesity study, Pemvidutide demonstrated a lean loss ratio of 21.9% at 48 weeks, indicating class-leading lean mass preservation[52] AUD and ALD Programs - The RECLAIM Phase 2 trial enrollment for AUD is expected to be completed in Q4 2025, while the RESTORE Phase 2 trial for ALD was initiated in Q3 2025[14] - Approximately 66% of AUD patients have obesity or overweight, similar to ALD patients, making them potential targets for Pemvidutide treatment[60] - ALD patients are approximately 3 times more likely to have liver-related disease progression compared to MASH patients[65] Financial Position - The company reported $211 million in total cash as of September 30, 2025, with access to a $125 million credit facility[75] - The company's 9-month year-to-date operating expenses (OPEX) were $54.5 million[75]

Summary of the Conference Call on Altimmune and Pemvidutide Company Overview - **Company**: Altimmune - **Product**: Pemvidutide - **Focus**: Clinical-stage biotechnology company developing treatments for metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH) Key Industry Insights - **Event**: HC Wainwright Virtual Liver Disease Conference - **Context**: The conference combined discussions on viral hepatitis, MASH, and liver cancer, highlighting the growing interest in liver disease therapeutics Core Points and Arguments 1. **Pemvidutide Mechanism**: Pemvidutide is a dual GLP-1/glucagon receptor agonist, designed to treat multiple components of MASH through direct liver effects and metabolic benefits [2][3] 2. **Clinical Data**: The 24-week study showed class-leading MASH resolution of approximately 59% of patients, with expectations for even better results at the upcoming 48-week data readout [5][8] 3. **Weight Loss and Liver Fat**: At the 1.8 mg dose, patients experienced over 6% weight loss, with about 50% normalizing liver fat [6][8] 4. **Tolerability Profile**: Pemvidutide demonstrated the lowest rates of adverse event discontinuations among incretins, with only 1% overall discontinuation due to adverse events [16][17] 5. **Regulatory Strategy**: The company is preparing for an end of phase 2 meeting with the FDA, focusing on the design of the phase 3 program and the potential use of non-invasive tests (NITs) as surrogates for biopsies [13][15] 6. **Market Opportunity**: MASH represents a significant commercial opportunity, targeting patients across various fibrosis stages (F2 to F4) [22][23] 7. **Competitive Positioning**: Altimmune believes that pemvidutide's dual mechanism provides a unique advantage over other therapies that typically focus on either metabolic or liver effects [20][25] Additional Important Insights - **Upcoming Milestones**: The company anticipates presenting 48-week data and having an end of phase 2 meeting with the FDA in the fourth quarter, which are critical for advancing to phase 3 trials [26] - **Combination Therapies**: There is a trend in the industry towards combination therapies for MASH, and pemvidutide's ability to address both liver and metabolic issues in a single molecule positions it favorably [24][25] - **Investor Sentiment**: The management team expressed confidence in pemvidutide's differentiation and readiness for phase 3, emphasizing the importance of upcoming data and regulatory discussions for investor interest [26] This summary encapsulates the key points discussed during the conference call, focusing on Altimmune's pemvidutide and its implications for the MASH treatment landscape.

Core Viewpoint - Roche has entered into a definitive merger agreement to acquire 89bio, Inc., a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on innovative therapies for liver and cardiometabolic diseases, with the transaction expected to close in Q4 2025 [1][10]. Group 1: Acquisition Details - Roche will commence a tender offer to acquire all outstanding shares of 89bio at a price of US$14.50 per share in cash, plus a non-tradeable contingent value right (CVR) for milestone payments of up to US$6.00 per share, representing a total equity value of approximately US$2.4 billion and a total deal value of up to US$3.5 billion [5][8]. - The acquisition price represents a premium of approximately 52% to 89bio's 60-day volume-weighted average price (VWAP) as of September 17, 2025 [5]. Group 2: Strategic Rationale - The acquisition enhances Roche's portfolio in cardiovascular, renal, and metabolic diseases (CVRM) and provides opportunities for future combination development with existing programs [2][3]. - Pegozafermin, 89bio's lead candidate, is positioned to potentially deliver best-in-disease efficacy for moderate to severe Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatohepatitis (MASH) patients, addressing critical unmet needs in this area [3][8]. Group 3: Employee Integration - Current employees of 89bio will join Roche's Pharmaceuticals Division as part of the acquisition [4]. Group 4: Milestone Payments - The non-tradeable CVR will entitle holders to contingent cash payments based on the achievement of specific commercial milestones, including US$2.00 per share upon the first commercial sale of pegozafermin in F4 MASH cirrhotic patients by March 31, 2030 [7][17].

Core Insights - Altimmune, Inc. announced positive results from the IMPACT Phase 2b trial for pemvidutide, indicating its potential as a differentiated therapy for Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatohepatitis (MASH) with statistically significant MASH resolution and weight loss at 24 weeks [1][3][11] - The company is preparing for an End-of-Phase 2 Meeting with the FDA, expected in Q4 2025, to discuss the next steps for pemvidutide's development [5][11] - Financial results show a cash position of $183.1 million as of June 30, 2025, reflecting a 39% increase from the previous year [4][8] Clinical Trial Results - The IMPACT Phase 2b trial reported that up to 59.1% of patients receiving pemvidutide experienced statistically significant MASH resolution without worsening fibrosis [4] - Improvements in corrected T1 (cT1), a marker of liver inflammation and fibrosis, were observed, with mean decreases of 145.0 ms and 147.9 ms in the pemvidutide 1.2 mg and 1.8 mg groups, respectively, compared to a decrease of 27.5 ms in the placebo group [4][11] - Statistically significant weight loss of up to 6.2% was recorded at 24 weeks, with a trajectory indicating continued weight loss [4][11] Financial Overview - For the second quarter ended June 30, 2025, Altimmune reported a net loss of $22.1 million, or $0.27 per share, an improvement from a net loss of $24.6 million, or $0.35 per share, in the same period in 2024 [8][17] - Research and development expenses decreased to $17.2 million from $21.2 million year-over-year, attributed to the timing of clinical trial costs [8][17] - General and administrative expenses remained stable at approximately $5.7 million [8][17] Future Developments - The company plans to report full 48-week data from the IMPACT trial in Q4 2025, which will provide further insights into the long-term efficacy and safety of pemvidutide [3][4] - Altimmune has initiated two additional Phase 2 trials: RECLAIM for Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) and RESTORE for Alcohol-Associated Liver Disease (ALD), both expected to enroll around 100 subjects [9][11]