Terns to Present on VAP-1 and FXR at NASH-TAG Conference 2021

FOSTER CITY, Calif., March 08, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Terns Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (“Terns” or the “Company”) (Nasdaq: TERN), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing a portfolio of small-molecule single-agent and combination therapy candidates for the treatment of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and other chronic liver diseases, today announced it will present data from two of its clinical development programs for NASH at the NASH-TAG Conference 2021, taking place March 11-13, 2021.

“We are pleased to be invited by the NASH-TAG conference organizers to give an oral presentation on the potential benefits of targeting vascular adhesion protein-1 (VAP-1) inhibition for the treatment of NASH, ahead of the initiation of our NASH clinical trial for TERN-201, our highly selective VAP-1 inhibitor,” said Erin Quirk, M.D., President and Chief Medical Officer of Terns. “In 2020, we presented data demonstrating that TERN-201 may have advantages over other VAP-1 inhibitor candidates and we look forward to showcasing the program with the hepatology community as we continue to advance our clinical studies. We will also be presenting data for our FXR agonist, TERN-101, demonstrating increased histological resolution of liver steatosis, inflammation and fibrosis in a preclinical NASH model. We expect to report 12-week clinical data from our Phase 2a LIFT Study of TERN-101 in NASH patients in the third quarter of 2021.”

The details of Terns’ presentations are as follows:

Oral Presentation
Targeting VAP-1 Inhibition in NASH
March 13, 2021
6:45 PM, MST

Poster
Liver-distributed Farnesoid X Receptor agonist TERN-101 is more efficacious in a mouse model of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis than Obeticholic Acid
Abstract # 13
March 11-13

A copy of the presentations will be accessible in the Scientific Publications section of the Terns website at www.TernsPharma.com.

The NASH-TAG Conference is designed to bring together clinicians and researchers in academia and the pharmaceutical industry for a focused interactive educational update highlighting the most relevant advances and challenges in the diagnosis and therapy of NASH and liver fibrosis.

About TERN-201
TERN-201 is a highly-selective inhibitor of vascular adhesion protein-1 (VAP-1) that has demonstrated sustained target engagement in clinical trials without off-target liabilities associated with other VAP-1 inhibitors in development. VAP-1 has been shown to be over-expressed in the livers of NASH patients in response to local lipotoxicity and liver injury. TERN-201 may have advantages over other development candidates because it is highly specific for VAP-1 inhibition and has minimal potential for off-target effects. Terns plans to start its Phase 1b clinical trial of TERN-201 in NASH patients in the first half of 2021 and expects data in the first half of 2022. Terns received Fast Track designation from the FDA for TERN-201 for the treatment of NASH in August 2020.

About TERN-101
TERN-101 is a liver-distributed, non-bile acid FXR agonist that has demonstrated a differentiated tolerability profile and improved target engagement, likely due to its sustained FXR activation in the liver but only transient FXR activation in the intestine. FXR is a nuclear receptor primarily expressed in the liver, intestine and kidneys. FXR regulates hepatic expression of various genes involved in lipid metabolism, inflammation and fibrosis. Studies have demonstrated that there is minimal overlap between liver and intestine FXR binding sites, indicating potentially a high degree of tissue-specific FXR function. Clinical studies of other FXR agonists have demonstrated significant histological NASH improvements but have also resulted in pruritus and adverse lipid changes. These tolerability issues have generally been observed in Phase 1 clinical trials of other FXR agonists in development and have been regarded as dose-limiting toxicities, which are suboptimal for patients and can lead to treatment discontinuation. However, in all four Phase 1 clinical trials of TERN-101, none of the 119 subjects who received TERN-101 reported pruritus, and the serum lipid profiles among TERN-101 recipients were similar to placebo recipients even at high doses.

About Terns Pharmaceuticals
Terns Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing a portfolio of small-molecule single-agent and combination therapy candidates for the treatment of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis, or NASH, and other chronic liver diseases. Terns’ programs are based on clinically validated and complementary mechanisms of action to address the multiple hepatic disease processes of NASH in order to drive meaningful clinical benefits for patients. For more information, please visit www.ternspharma.com.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements about Terns Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (the “Company,” “we,” “us,” or “our”) within the meaning of the federal securities laws, including those related to the Company’s expectations of timing and potential results of the Company’s clinical trials and other development activities and the potential utility and progress of the Company’s product candidates in NASH. All statements other than statements of historical facts contained in this press release, including statements regarding the Company’s strategy, future financial condition, future operations, projected costs, prospects, plans, objectives of management and expected market growth, are forward-looking statements. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terminology such as “aim,” “anticipate,” “assume,” “believe,” “contemplate,” “continue,” “could,” “design,” “due,” “estimate,” “expect,” “goal,” “intend,” “may,” “objective,” “plan,” “positioned,” “potential,” “predict,” “seek,” “should,” “target,” “will,” “would” and other similar expressions that are predictions of or indicate future events and future trends, or the negative of these terms or other comparable terminology. The Company has based these forward-looking statements largely on its current expectations, estimates, forecasts and projections about future events and financial trends that it believes may affect its financial condition, results of operations, business strategy and financial needs. In light of the significant uncertainties in these forward-looking statements, you should not rely upon forward-looking statements as predictions of future events. These statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause the actual results and the implementation of the Company’s plans to vary materially, including the risks associated with the initiation, cost, timing, progress and results of the Company’s current and future research and development activities and preclinical studies and clinical trials. In particular, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the Company’s ability to progress with its research, development, manufacturing and regulatory efforts, including the Company’s clinical trials for its product candidates, will depend on future developments that are highly uncertain and cannot be predicted with confidence at this time, such as the ultimate duration of the pandemic, travel restrictions, quarantines, social distancing and business closure requirements in the United States and in other countries, and the effectiveness of actions taken globally to contain and treat the disease. These risks are not exhaustive. For a detailed discussion of the risk factors that could affect the Company’s actual results, please refer to the risk factors identified in the Company’s SEC reports, including but not limited to its prospectus dated February 4, 2021. Except as required by law, the Company undertakes no obligation to update publicly any forward-looking statements for any reason.

US Media Contact:
Investor Relations Contact:
Mark Vignola
investors@ternspharma.com

Media Contact:
Cory Tromblee
media@ternspharma.com