OUR PIPELINE
Powerful Biology, Transformative Impact
Through our seamless, in-house integration of biology and biologics, we are building a robust pipeline of first-in-class and best-in-class drug candidates. Regardless of therapeutic area or disease, our drug candidates each target powerful disease-driving biology with the intent of delivering a transformative impact for patients.
Pre-
clinical
Preclinical
Phase 1
Phase 2
Phase 3
NASH F2/F3
Aldafermin
NASH F2/F3
Aldafermin
NGM Bio has worldwide commercial rights to aldafermin.
Target
Our most advanced program, aldafermin (previously NGM282), is an engineered variant of the human hormone FGF19, which we are developing as a once-daily injection for the treatment of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). FGF19 is a highly specific and potent regulator of liver fat metabolism and bile acid synthesis that we believe is responsible for some of the beneficial effects of gastric bypass surgery on NASH.
Data
In February 2020, we announced positive preliminary topline results from a 24-week double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled Phase 2 clinical study (Cohort 4) of aldafermin in NASH patients with F2-F3 fibrosis. Cohort 4 was the final reported cohort from our adaptive Phase 2 clinical study of aldafermin in NASH.
Cohort 4 was powered to demonstrate the effect of 1 mg aldafermin treatment versus placebo on the primary endpoint of change in absolute liver fat content, which achieved statistical significance. In addition, the study assessed secondary and exploratory endpoints of liver histology and biomarkers of disease activity.
The histology results revealed that treatment with aldafermin led to clinically meaningful improvements at 24 weeks versus placebo in fibrosis improvement of ≥1 stage with no worsening of NASH (38% of aldafermin-treated patients vs. 18% placebo) and in resolution of NASH with no worsening of liver fibrosis (24% of aldafermin-treated patients vs. 9% placebo). The study also demonstrated a statistically significant impact on the composite endpoint of both fibrosis improvement and resolution of NASH (22% in aldafermin-treated patients vs. 0% placebo).
In the study, aldafermin continued to demonstrate a favorable tolerability profile.
Clinical Development Status
Our ongoing Phase 2b clinical development program for aldafermin includes:
- Phase 2b ALPINE 2/3: The 24-week study is designed to enroll approximately 150 patients with biopsy-confirmed NASH and F2-F3 and will assess the efficacy, safety and tolerability of 0.3 mg, 1 mg and 3 mg doses of aldafermin compared to placebo.
- Phase 2b ALPINE 4: The 48-week study is designed to enroll approximately 150 patients with biopsy-confirmed NASH cirrhosis (F4) and will assess the treatment effect on histology, defined as fibrosis regression of at least one stage without worsening of NASH of aldafermin compared to placebo.
NASH F4
Aldafermin
NASH F4
Aldafermin
NGM Bio has worldwide commercial rights to aldafermin.
Target
Our most advanced program, aldafermin (previously NGM282), is an engineered variant of the human hormone FGF19, which we are developing as a once-daily injection for the treatment of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). FGF19 is a highly specific and potent regulator of liver fat metabolism and bile acid synthesis that we believe is responsible for some of the beneficial effects of gastric bypass surgery on NASH.
Data
In February 2020, we announced positive preliminary topline results from a 24-week double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled Phase 2 clinical study (Cohort 4) of aldafermin in NASH patients with F2-F3 fibrosis. Cohort 4 was the final reported cohort from our adaptive Phase 2 clinical study of aldafermin in NASH.
Cohort 4 was powered to demonstrate the effect of 1 mg aldafermin treatment versus placebo on the primary endpoint of change in absolute liver fat content, which achieved statistical significance. In addition, the study assessed secondary and exploratory endpoints of liver histology and biomarkers of disease activity.
The histology results revealed that treatment with aldafermin led to clinically meaningful improvements at 24 weeks versus placebo in fibrosis improvement of ≥1 stage with no worsening of NASH (38% of aldafermin-treated patients vs. 18% placebo) and in resolution of NASH with no worsening of liver fibrosis (24% of aldafermin-treated patients vs. 9% placebo). The study also demonstrated a statistically significant impact on the composite endpoint of both fibrosis improvement and resolution of NASH (22% in aldafermin-treated patients vs. 0% placebo).
In the study, aldafermin continued to demonstrate a favorable tolerability profile.
Clinical Development Status
Our ongoing Phase 2b clinical development program for aldafermin includes:
- Phase 2b ALPINE 2/3: The 24-week study is designed to enroll approximately 150 patients with biopsy-confirmed NASH and F2-F3 and will assess the efficacy, safety and tolerability of 0.3 mg, 1 mg and 3 mg doses of aldafermin compared to placebo.
- Phase 2b ALPINE 4: The 48-week study is designed to enroll approximately 150 patients with biopsy-confirmed NASH cirrhosis (F4) and will assess the treatment effect on histology, defined as fibrosis regression of at least one stage without worsening of NASH of aldafermin compared to placebo.
NASH F2/F3
MK-3655
NASH F2/F3
MK-3655
Merck licensed NGM313 (now renamed MK-3655) from NGM and is currently conducting a Phase 2b study to evaluate MK-3655 as a potential treatment for patients with NASH.
Target
NGM313 is an agonistic antibody binding to fibroblast growth factor receptor 1c-beta-klotho, or FGFR1c/KLB, which regulates insulin sensitivity, blood glucose and liver fat. NGM313, being developed as a once-monthly injection, has the potential to be a best-in-class insulin sensitizer for the treatment of NASH. NGM313 works by selectively activating the FGFR1c/KLB co-receptor complex, which regulates energy expenditure and glucose uptake in fat cells and other tissues.
Data
In November 2018, NGM presented preliminary data at AASLD’s The Liver Meeting® in San Francisco from a Phase 1b proof-of-concept clinical trial of NGM313 in obese, insulin resistant subjects with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, or NAFLD. The data demonstrated that a single dose of NGM313 resulted in a statistically significant reduction in liver fat content and improvements in multiple metabolic parameters.
Development Status
In January 2019, Merck exercised its option to license NGM313 (now renamed MK-3655). This one-time option to license NGM313, part of the original agreement announced by NGM and Merck in 2015, was triggered by NGM’s completion of the Phase 1b clinical study of NGM313. In late 2020, Merck initiated a Phase 2b study to evaluate MK-3655 as a potential treatment for patients with NASH.
Learn more about NGM313 (MK-3655)
Geographic Atrophy
NGM621 Intravitreal
Geographic Atrophy
NGM621 Intravitreal
Merck has a one-time option to license NGM621 upon our completion of a proof-of-concept study in humans.
Target
NGM621 is a humanized IgG1 monoclonal antibody engineered to potently inhibit activity of complement C3 with the treatment goal of reducing disease progression in patients with geographic atrophy (GA), and with the potential for every eight week dosing without pegylation.
GA is an advanced form of age-related macular degeneration (AMD), the leading cause of vision loss and blindness in people over the age of 65 in the US and other industrialized countries.
A progressive retinal degenerative disease, GA is associated with irreversible loss of vision, diminished quality of life, and eventual blindness. Dysregulated activation of the complement system, a key component of the immune system, has been implicated in the onset and progression of GA. There are currently no approved treatments for this disease.
Clinical Development Status
NGM is currently conducting the Phase 2 CATALINA study, a multicenter, randomized, double-masked, sham-controlled clinical trial, to evaluate the safety and efficacy of intravitreal injections (IVT) of NGM621 in patients with GA secondary to AMD. Designed as a Phase 3-enabling study, the CATALINA study will enroll 240 patients diagnosed with GA in one or both eyes.
NGM successfully completed a first-in-human open-label Phase 1 study in which treatment with single- and multiple-dose IVT injections of NGM621 in patients with GA was well tolerated, supporting continued development. NGM presented NGM621 preclinical findings at The Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) Annual Meeting, held virtually in June 2020. The presentations can be viewed here.
Learn more about NGM621
Metastatic Pancreatic Cancer & CACS
NGM120
Metastatic Pancreatic Cancer & CACS
NGM120
Merck has a one-time option to license NGM120 upon our completion of a proof-of-concept study in humans.
Target
NGM120 is a first-in-class antagonistic antibody that binds glial cell-derived neurotrophic factor receptor alpha-like (GFRAL) and inhibits growth differentiation factor 15 (GDF15) signaling for the potential treatment of cancer and cancer anorexia/cachexia syndrome (CACS).
NGM’s preclinical research suggests the central role of the GDF15/GFRAL pathway in promoting tumor-associated appetite suppression and weight loss. In addition, GDF15 levels are elevated in numerous tumor types and, based on available scientific literature, increased serum GDF15 levels are associated with worse prognosis in prostate, colorectal, esophageal and ovarian cancers. In preclinical studies of NGM120, our team has demonstrated that blocking the interaction between GFRAL and GDF15 is able to both reduce tumor-associated weight loss and slow tumor growth and could potentially provide a novel treatment for CACS and cancer.
Clinical Development Status
In February 2020, we announced the initiation of a Phase 1a/1b multi-site clinical study to evaluate the safety, tolerability and pharmacokinetics of NGM120 as a monotherapy in patients with select advanced solid tumors (Cohort 1) and of NGM120 in combination with gemcitabine and Abraxane® in patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer (Cohort 2). Each cohort will consist of an open-label dose-escalation portion followed by a dose-expansion portion. Approximately 90 patients with elevated serum levels of GDF15 are expected to be enrolled in the concurrently run cohorts. Preliminary evidence of anti-tumor and anti-cachexia activity will be assessed by measuring tumor response rates, body mass and composition, patient-reported outcomes and functional status.
The Phase 1a/1b study followed the successful completion of a Phase 1 safety, tolerability and pharmacokinetics study of NGM120 in healthy adult subjects in 2019.
Cancer and CACS
NGM120
Cancer and CACS
NGM120
Merck has a one-time option to license NGM120 upon our completion of a proof-of-concept study in humans.
Target
NGM120 is a first-in-class antagonistic antibody that binds glial cell-derived neurotrophic factor receptor alpha-like (GFRAL) and inhibits growth differentiation factor 15 (GDF15) signaling for the potential treatment of cancer and cancer anorexia/cachexia syndrome (CACS).
NGM’s preclinical research suggests the central role of the GDF15/GFRAL pathway in promoting tumor-associated appetite suppression and weight loss. In addition, GDF15 levels are elevated in numerous tumor types and, based on available scientific literature, increased serum GDF15 levels are associated with worse prognosis in prostate, colorectal, esophageal and ovarian cancers. In preclinical studies of NGM120, our team has demonstrated that blocking the interaction between GFRAL and GDF15 is able to both reduce tumor-associated weight loss and slow tumor growth and could potentially provide a novel treatment for CACS and cancer.
Clinical Development Status
In February 2020, we announced the initiation of a Phase 1a/1b multi-site clinical study to evaluate the safety, tolerability and pharmacokinetics of NGM120 as a monotherapy in patients with select advanced solid tumors (Cohort 1) and of NGM120 in combination with gemcitabine and Abraxane® in patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer (Cohort 2). Each cohort will consist of an open-label dose-escalation portion followed by a dose-expansion portion. Approximately 90 patients with elevated serum levels of GDF15 are expected to be enrolled in the concurrently run cohorts. Preliminary evidence of anti-tumor and anti-cachexia activity will be assessed by measuring tumor response rates, body mass and composition, patient-reported outcomes and functional status.
The Phase 1a/1b study followed the successful completion of a Phase 1 safety, tolerability and pharmacokinetics study of NGM120 in healthy adult subjects in 2019.
Advanced Solid Tumors
NGM707
Advanced Solid Tumors
NGM707
Merck has a one-time option to license NGM707 upon our completion of a proof-of-concept study in humans.
Target
NGM707 is a novel dual antagonist antibody inhibiting ILT2 and ILT4 being advanced by NGM with the goal of improving patient immune responses to tumors.
ILT2 (Immunoglobulin-like transcript 2) and Immunoglobulin-like transcript 4 (ILT4) are members of the leukocyte Ig-like receptor (LILR) family of immunosuppressive receptors. ILT2 and ILT4, which are expressed on myeloid cells in the tumor microenvironment, are implicated in suppressing anti-tumor immune response and may represent checkpoints that enable tumors to evade immune detection. Suppressive myeloid cells enriched with ILT2 and ILT4 receptors are upregulated in certain cancer types1-5, while ILT2 is also expressed on natural killer (NK) cells, B cells and a subset of highly cytolytic T cells. Of note, ILT2 and ILT4 are upregulated on macrophages in the tumor microenvironment of certain cancer patients that are non-responders to T cell checkpoint inhibitor therapy and, therefore, may serve as T cell checkpoint inhibitor resistance mechanisms6. Reversing myeloid suppression, or myeloid reprogramming, represents a promising new therapeutic area of immuno-oncology.
NGM707 is designed to potentially improve patient immune responses to tumors by inhibiting both the ILT2 and ILT4 receptors. In preclinical studies of NGM707, NGM has demonstrated that an ILT4-mediated blockade reverses myeloid cell immune suppression, while an ILT2-mediated blockade promotes NK and CD8+ T cell killing of tumor cells and activates macrophage phagocytosis of tumor cells. In addition, preclinical studies of NGM707 have shown that the dual blockade of ILT2 and ILT4 act synergistically to reverse suppression of Fc receptor signaling.
Clinical Development Status
NGM anticipates initiating a Phase 1 study of NGM707 in mid-2021.
2. Li et al., Nat Genet, 2017
3. Puram et al., Cell, 2017
4. Azizi et al., Cell, 2018
5. Lambrechts et al., Nat Med, 2018
6. Sade-Feldman et al., Cell, 2018
Advanced Solid Tumors
NGM438
Advanced Solid Tumors
NGM438
Merck has a one-time option to license NGM483 upon our completion of a proof-of-concept study in humans.
Target:
NGM438 is a novel antagonist antibody being developed by NGM to inhibit Leukocyte-associated immunoglobulin-like receptor 1 (LAIR1) for the treatment of advanced solid tumors.
LAIR1 is a collagen-binding inhibitory receptor expressed on immune cells1-2 that is implicated in immune suppression. LAIR1 and collagens are upregulated in multiple cancer types3-7 where collagens are produced by activated stromal cells. These stromal-derived suppressive factors are associated with poor responses to checkpoint inhibitors. For such tumors, formation of the LAIR1-collagen complex may act as a stromal checkpoint to both physically exclude immune cells from the tumor and impose signaling-based immune suppression8-9. Consequently, inhibiting this stromal checkpoint represents a potentially promising new therapeutic strategy to treat cancer by promoting the remodeling of the tumor architecture that restricts T cell infiltration of the tumor cell mass and reversing immune suppression in the tumor microenvironment.
Designed to inhibit LAIR1 interactions with stromal-derived collagens, NGM438 has the potential to block this stromal checkpoint and restore anti-tumor immune responses. In preclinical studies, NGM438 demonstrated the ability to reprogram collagen-suppressed myeloid cells to a stimulatory phenotype, induce inflammatory cytokine production by myeloid and T cells, and relieve collagen-based suppression of T cell proliferation. Reinvigoration of collagen-suppressed immune cells may address a key resistance mechanism that limits responses to current immunotherapies.
Clinical Development Status:
NGM plans to initiate first-in-human testing of NGM438 in the fourth quarter of 2021.
2. Guo, Trans Med, 2020
3. Cao, 2015, Biochem Biophys Res Commun
4. Wang, Exp Ther Med, 2016
5. Wu, CP Cancer, 2018
6. Yang, Head & Neck, 2018
7. Jingushi, Onc. Reports, 2018
8. Peng, Nat Comm, 2020
9. Lijun, Oncoimmunology, 2020
"We are a biology-based company, not a disease-focused company. While we started off in metabolic diseases, we weren't afraid to explore other disease areas and learn from those. The opportunity to go into different diseases really interested me. It just makes it very diverse from the biology standpoint."
Jessica
Biology
Career Opportunities