April 23, 2025 -- Bluejay Therapeutics, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company dedicated to developing potentially life-changing therapeutics for serious viral and liver diseases, today announced it will present new preclinical data on the characterization of BJT-188, a liver-targeted fatty acid synthase (FASN) inhibitor being investigated for the treatment of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH), at the European Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL) Congress 2025, taking place May 7-10, 2025, in Amsterdam. The presentation will also be available on Bluejay’s website following the meeting.
BJT-188 targets FASN, a key enzyme in the de novo lipogenesis (DNL) pathway responsible for converting dietary sugar metabolites into saturated fatty acids, which serve as precursor for lipotoxic lipids such as triglycerides. Overactivation of FASN has been implicated in the pathogenesis of MASH, primarily through excessive lipid accumulation in the liver, leading to inflammation and fibrosis.
“The presentation of BJT-188 preclinical data represents an important milestone for Bluejay as we leverage our Liver-Targeting Advanced Platform (L-TAP) to expand our strategic focus beyond viral hepatitis into MASH, a serious liver disease with limited treatment options affecting millions globally,” said Keting Chu, M.D., Ph.D., Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Bluejay Therapeutics.
Previous studies of other FASN inhibitors have demonstrated therapeutic potential in MASH; however, their clinical utility has been limited due to systemic side effects. BJT-188 addresses this challenge by leveraging Bluejay’s proprietary Liver-Targeting Advanced Platform (L-TAP), designed to enhance drug delivery to the liver. This targeted approach potentially reduces systemic exposure, thereby minimizing side effects and improving the overall therapeutic profile.
Poster presentation details are as follows:
Title: Preclinical characterization of BJT-188, a liver-targeted fatty acid synthase inhibitor for the treatment of MASH
Abstract number: 2721
Session: Poster - MASLD: Experimental and pathophysiology
Date: Friday, May 9
Time: 8:30 a.m. CET
Presenter: Jerome Deval, Ph.D., Bluejay Therapeutics
Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH) is a severe liver disease that affects an estimated 5% of the global adult population. In the United States, it is estimated that MASH currently impacts approximately 13 million adults and is expected to impact more than 19 million by 2039. MASH is characterized by fat accumulation, inflammation and fibrosis in the liver. Increasing fibrosis is associated with a greater risk for progression to liver-related complications, including cirrhosis, liver cancer and liver-related death. MASH is also a leading cause of liver transplant. There are limited treatment options for MASH worldwide, with only one treatment currently approved in the United States.
BJT-188 is a preclinical, liver-targeted fatty acid synthase (FASN) inhibitor currently under investigation by Bluejay Therapeutics for the treatment of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH). BJT-188 targets the FASN enzyme, which is involved in converting dietary sugar metabolites into lipotoxic lipids. BJT-188 was developed utilizing Bluejay Therapeutics’ proprietary Liver-Targeting Advanced Platform (L-TAP) to enhance its liver-specific delivery.
Bluejay Therapeutics’ Liver-Targeting Advanced Platform (L-TAP) integrates molecular modeling and drug design to create novel therapeutics with optimized liver targeting. By enhancing liver specificity, L-TAP aims to reduce drug distribution to peripheral tissues, thereby improving therapeutic efficacy and minimizing side effects. L-TAP has been applied to the development of BJT-628, a hepatitis B virus (HBV) transcript inhibitor currently under evaluation as part of potential combination regimens aimed at achieving a functional cure for chronic hepatitis B (CHB), and BJT-188, a fatty acid synthase (FASN) inhibitor being investigated for the treatment of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH). Both BJT-628 and BJT-188 have demonstrated promising results in preclinical studies.
Bluejay Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company dedicated to developing potentially life-changing therapeutics for serious viral and liver diseases. The company is currently investigating brelovitug for the treatment of chronic hepatitis D (CHD) and chronic hepatitis B (CHB) viral infections. Additionally, Bluejay is advancing several innovative programs with the goal of developing a combination regimen to achieve a functional cure for chronic hepatitis B, including a proprietary TLR9 agonist (cavrotolimod) and a liver-targeted HBV transcript inhibitor (BJT-628). The company is also investigating BJT-188, a preclinical liver-targeted fatty acid synthase (FASN) inhibitor, for the treatment of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH).
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