INDIANAPOLIS, May 28, 2026
Altimmune, Inc. has reported promising new 48-week data from its IMPACT Phase 2b clinical trial, demonstrating that pemvidutide significantly improved multiple metabolic and cardiovascular risk factors in patients with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH). Presented during a prestigious “Best of EASL” oral session at the European Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL) Congress 2026 in Barcelona, the findings reinforce the potential of pemvidutide as a differentiated treatment capable of addressing both liver disease and the underlying metabolic abnormalities that drive disease progression. The results further strengthen the company’s confidence as it prepares to advance the investigational therapy into the pivotal PERFORMA Phase 3 trial later this year.
Pemvidutide Delivers Broad Metabolic and Cardiovascular Benefits
The latest analysis from the IMPACT Phase 2b study demonstrated that pemvidutide 1.8 mg generated significant improvements across a broad range of metabolic risk factors in patients with biopsy-confirmed MASH. Among participants with elevated baseline lipid levels, treatment resulted in 23.7% reductions in triglycerides and 15.4% reductions in total cholesterol compared with placebo.
Beyond lipid management, the therapy achieved 7.5% average weight loss, reductions in body mass index of 3.0 kg/m², and decreases in waist circumference of 5.3 centimeters, highlighting its ability to address obesity-related drivers of liver disease. Investigators also reported meaningful cardiovascular benefits, including reductions in systolic blood pressure by 4.0 mmHg and diastolic blood pressure by 2.2 mmHg. These findings are particularly significant because cardiovascular disease remains one of the leading causes of death among patients living with MASH, making therapies that improve both liver health and cardiometabolic risk factors highly valuable.
Phase 2b Results Reinforce Liver Disease Improvement
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The newly presented metabolic findings build upon previously reported IMPACT data showing substantial improvements in non-invasive markers of liver fibrosis and disease activity. At Week 48, the proportion of patients achieving both a ≥0.5 reduction in Enhanced Liver Fibrosis (ELF) score and a ≥30% reduction in Liver Stiffness Measurement (LSM) reached 32.4% in the pemvidutide 1.8 mg group, compared with just 3.2% in the placebo arm. Researchers believe these outcomes support pemvidutide’s unique mechanism of action as a balanced 1:1 glucagon and GLP-1 dual receptor agonist, which simultaneously targets liver fat accumulation, inflammation, fibrosis, appetite regulation, and weight management.
According to investigators, the therapy’s dual-action design may provide advantages over traditional approaches by addressing multiple biological pathways involved in MASH progression. With the global prevalence of MASH increasing rapidly alongside obesity and type 2 diabetes, effective therapies capable of delivering comprehensive metabolic and hepatic benefits are urgently needed.
Favorable Safety Profile Supports Phase 3 Advancement
Altimmune also reported encouraging long-term safety findings from the IMPACT trial. The overall safety profile remained favorable throughout the 48-week treatment period, with only approximately 1% of patients discontinuing therapy because of adverse events. Most treatment-emergent adverse events were mild to moderate in severity and primarily gastrointestinal in nature, occurring predominantly during the first eight weeks of treatment. Importantly, investigators observed no imbalance in cardiac adverse events compared with placebo, further supporting the therapy’s clinical development.
The IMPACT study enrolled 212 patients with biopsy-confirmed MASH and fibrosis stages F2 or F3, providing a robust dataset for evaluating efficacy and safety. Building on these results, Altimmune plans to launch the multinational PERFORMA Phase 3 trial during the second half of 2026. If future studies confirm the benefits observed in Phase 2b, pemvidutide could emerge as a transformative treatment option capable of addressing both liver disease progression and the broader cardiometabolic complications that threaten long-term patient outcomes in MASH.
Source: Altimmune press release
