GSK Acquires Promising Liver Disease Medication in Deal Valued at Up to $2 Billion

British pharmaceutical leader GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) has announced its strategic acquisition of an investigational drug aimed at treating a prevalent form of liver disease, in a deal that could reach up to $2 billion. The company has agreed to pay $1.2 billion upfront to Boston Pharmaceuticals, with an additional $800 million potentially earned through success-based milestones. This promising medication, efimosfermin, is currently in the final stages of clinical trials and is targeted at steatotic liver disease (SLD), which impacts approximately 5% of the global population. GSK anticipates that efimosfermin could establish itself as a new standard of care for SLD, a condition characterized by fat accumulation in the liver that can progress to severe damage and necessitate transplantation. The drug may also be effective against liver damage caused by alcohol use. GSK estimates that widespread use of efimosfermin could help prevent disease progression, potentially saving the US healthcare system between $40 billion and $100 billion over the next two decades.

SLD currently has limited therapeutic options, making this development particularly significant for patient care. The acquisition highlights GSK’s commitment to expanding its portfolio in liver health and tackling unmet medical needs in this field.

This move underscores the potential impact of efimosfermin in transforming liver disease treatment and reducing healthcare costs associated with advanced liver damage.

Source: https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-05-gsk-buys-liver-disease-drug.html