Clinical Trial to Evaluation the Safety and Efficacy of GR-MD-02 for the Treatment of Liver Fibrosis and Resultant Portal Hypertension in Patients With Nash Cirrhosis

Study GT 026 is a Phase 2, multicenter, parallel group, North American, randomized, placebo controlled, double blind study. This study will enroll subjects with portal hypertension (HVPG greater than or equal to 6 mm Hg) who also have a liver biopsy with cirrhosis (Ishak stage 5 or 6), presumably due to NASH, excluding subjects with medium and large varices and those with decompensated cirrhosis. Subjects with portal hypertension and cirrhosis will be randomly assigned (1:1:1 ratio) to receive 1 of 3 treatment assignments including placebo, GR MD 02 in a dose of 2 mg/kg lean body mass, or GR MD 02 in a dose of 8 mg/kg lean body mass administered every other week over a 52 week period for a total of 26 intravenous infusions. The primary endpoint analysis is the baseline adjusted change in HVPG at 1 year (53 55 weeks) in subjects treated with placebo as compared to subjects treated with GR MD 02 (2 mg/kg/week or 8 mg/kg/week). An esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) with evaluation for varices, HVPG, and liver biopsy will be performed before the first infusion and after the final 26th dose of the investigational medicinal product (IMP). Additionally, subjects will undergo a FibroScan (if available) prior to the first infusion, at Infusion Visit 13, and 14 to 28 days following final 26th infusion, an methacetin breath test (MBT), will be performed if available at screening, at Infusion Visit 13, and 14 to 28 days after the final infusion, and blood will be collected for assessment of biomarkers. All subjects are to attend 2 postdose visits: the first will occur 14 to 28 days after the final dose administration and a second will occur 14 days following the first postdose visit. Subjects will be offered enrollment into a subsequent separate study, an open label extension study, if there is adequate tolerability and no safety issues or signs of clinical progression that would recommend discontinuation. Subjects who do not enroll in the open label extension study will be contacted via telephone every 6 months for 2 years and annually thereafter for a total of 4 years.