Hoth Therapeutics’ HT-VA shows cholesterol level restoration

Hoth Therapeutics (HOTH) announced new female-specific preclinical results from the second phase of its metabolic disease study evaluating glial cell-derived neurotrophic factor, or GDNF. The second phase of the study evaluated serum liver biochemistry and hepatic molecular pathways in female mice fed a western diet to model metabolic dysfunction associated with obesity and Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease, or MASLD. Results demonstrate that GDNF improved lipid metabolism biomarkers and preserved key cellular pathways in the liver compared with western diet controls and the GLP-1 agonist Semaglutide. Female mice fed a western diet demonstrated increased serum cholesterol levels relative to control diet animals. Treatment with GDNF restored cholesterol concentrations to levels comparable with control diet-fed mice, indicating improved lipid metabolism in the diet-induced metabolic dysfunction model.