Gilead took a risky approach with selonsertib in NASH, pursuing a tough liver fibrosis benefit and failing, continuing a trend of disappointments outside of its antiviral franchises. Analysts don’t expect the second Phase III study in less-sick patients to succeed either.

Drug development for nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), a form of liver disease, is a game of incomplete information: pipeline evolution is occurring in parallel with continued efforts to better understand and manage the disease. To date, no therapy for patients with NASH has been approved and consequences of the condition can be severe, including cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma.

A new publication offers up proof of concept that the genetic signatures of microorganisms found in blood and tumor tissue could improve precision medicine cancer diagnostics. The study also bolsters the notion that targeting the microbiome could lead to innovative cancer therapies.