Background: ION224, a liver-directed antisense inhibitor of diacylglycerol O-acyltransferase 2 (DGAT2), suppresses de novo lipogenesis, an important metabolic pathway associated with lipotoxicity and the underlying inflammation, hepatocellular injury, and fibrosis in metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH). This study aimed to prospectively assess the safety and efficacy of ION224 in patients with MASH and fibrosis.
Methods: ION224-CS2 was an adaptive, two-part, multicentre, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase 2 trial conducted at 43 clinical sites in the USA and Puerto Rico in patients aged 18-75 years with biopsy-confirmed MASH and fibrosis (stages F1, F2, and F3) and baseline liver steatosis ≥10%. In part 1, participants were randomly assigned (1:1:1) to subcutaneous injections of ION224 60 mg, 90 mg, or 120 mg, or placebo, once per month. In part 2, participants were randomly assigned (2:1) to ION224 90 mg and 120 mg or placebo after a pre-specified interim analysis of safety and efficacy (liver steatosis). The primary endpoint was ≥2-point reduction in Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease Activity Score Activity Score (NAS) with ≥1-point improvement in hepatocellular ballooning or lobular inflammation, and without worsening of fibrosis at week 51. The primary analysis was in a predefined per-protocol set that included patients who received at least ten of 13 doses of the study drug without missing three consecutive doses and completed the final liver biopsy at the end of treatment. ION224-CS2 was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT04932512) and is closed.
Findings: Between June 8, 2021, and Dec 27, 2022, 160 participants were randomly assigned to receive ION224 60 mg (n=23), 90 mg (n=45), or 120 mg (n=46), or placebo (n=46), of whom 123 were included in the per-protocol set. The primary endpoint was met in 18 (46%) of 39 participants in the 90-mg group (predicted risk 46·2% [95% CI 30·5-61·8]; risk difference 27·4% [95% CI 6·7-48·1], p=0·0094) and 20 (59%) of 34 in the 120-mg group (58·8% [42·3-75·4]; 40·1% [18·7- 61·4], p=0·0002) compared with six (19%) of 32 in the placebo group (predicted risk 18·7% [95% CI 5·2-32·3]). ION224 was safe and well tolerated. Adverse events were reported in 107 (94%) of participants treated with ION224 and 41 (89%) of 46 participants treated with placebo. There were no deaths and no treatment-related serious adverse events.
Interpretation: This study provides the first clinical evidence that antisense-mediated inhibition of DGAT2 with ION224 could be a safe and efficacious strategy for the treatment of MASH. The observed histological improvements were independent of changes in bodyweight, suggesting potential to combine with other therapies such as GLP-1 based treatments.
Funding: Ionis Pharmaceuticals.
Background: Since 2007, single anastomosis duodeno-ileal bypass with sleeve gastrectomy (SADI-S) has been proposed as an alternative to Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) in the treatment of obesity. We conducted a multicentre randomised trial, with the hypothesis that SADI-S could be more effective than RYGB at 2-year follow-up.
Methods: This multicentre, open-label, individually randomised superiority trial was conducted in France; patients were recruited from 22 bariatric institutions, mostly public academic hospitals. Key inclusion criteria were patients with a BMI ≥40 kg/m2 or ≥35 kg/m2 with obesity-related comorbidities (type 2 diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidaemia, sleep apnoea, or osteoarthrosis), and a candidate for SADI-S or RYGB gastric bypass as a primary surgery or after a sleeve gastrectomy. Main key exclusions included previous bariatric surgery (other than sleeve gastrectomy), inflammatory bowel disease, type 1 diabetes, and untreated Helicobacter pylori infection. Participants were randomly assigned (1:1) to SADI-S or RYGB, stratified by centre, failure of sleeve gastrectomy, and presence of type 2 diabetes. The primary endpoint was percentage excess weight loss (%EWL) at 2 years (%EWL=[(weight at 2 years - initial weight)/(initial weight - ideal weight)] × 100). The study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03610256 and is completed.
Findings: Between Nov 8, 2018, and Sept 29, 2021, a total of 381 patients were randomly assigned (intention-to-treat population) and included in the primary analysis (SADI-S: 190, RYGB: 191). Mean age was 44·4 years (SD 10·64), mean BMI was 46·2 kg/m2 (6·40), 265 (70%) were female, and 79 (21%) had a primary sleeve gastrectomy. 43 (12%) of 370 participants were lost to follow-up. At 2 years, the mean %EWL was statistically significantly higher in the SADI-S group compared with the RYGB group (-76·0% [SD 26·7] vs -68·1% [28·7], confirming the superiority of SADI-S (mean difference -6·72% [95% CI -12·64 to -0·80], p=0·026). The primary outcome was missing for 78 (20%) of 381 participants, with 46 (59%) of 78 participants in the SADI-S group and 32 (41%) of 78 in the RYGB group, p=0·09. The number of serious adverse events related to the surgical technique in the safety population, including all operated patients, was 40 in the SADI-S group including three anastomotic leaks and eight severe diarrhoea compared with 35 in the RYGB group including five internal hernia and five severe abdominal pain cases of which two required diagnostic laparoscopy.
Interpretation: SADI-S showed superior weight loss compared with RYGB at 2 years, with a similar safety profile.
Funding: French Ministry of Health (Direction Générale de l'offre de Soin - DGOS).

