Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) is a condition in which fat builds up in the liver. As its name suggests, it is not associated to heavy alcohol use. Non-Alcoholic Steatohepatitis (NASH) is a condition of liver inflammation and damage that is caused by the buildup of fat in the liver. It is usually associated with prediabetes, diabetes (high blood sugar in the blood), a high concentration of fat (triglycerides) in the blood, and obesity (increase in fat all over the body). The signs and symptoms of NASH are often not seen until the liver is damaged beyond repair, making NASH very difficult to diagnose (be picked up by your doctor) in its early stages where treatments might be able to reverse the damage.~There are no treatments currently approved for people with NASH but several new medications are under study in people with NAFLD or NASH. This study uses a treatment being developed for treating NASH. The investigators will conduct a study to assess the effects of PF-05221304 (PF'1304) on the way the liver handles fat. In early studies, this new drug has shown promise for lowering the level of fat in the liver. However, it also, unexpectedly, increases the level of fat in the blood, which could increase the risk of heart disease and inflammation of the pancreas.~The planned study will identify why the fat in the blood increases. Subjects will undergo a screening period where we will obtain medical history and physical exam. Additionally, we will obtain the results of liver imaging or liver biopsy previously performed by the subject's doctor that confirm the presence of an abnormal amount of liver fat and liver stiffness. The enrolled subjects will receive placebo (an inactive pill) during the first 6 weeks, followed by a 3 week washout period and then 6 weeks of active treatment. Blood samples will be collected during outpatient visits to check for study safety and measurements of fat in the blood and particles that carry that fat. There will also be 2 long outpatient studies that last approximately 15 hours each, where we will test why there is increase in fat blood levels during treatment with PF'1304. All visits will occur at the CUIMC Irving Institute for Clinical and Translational Research. Subject risk will be minimized through strict eligibility criteria to avoid enrollment of unstable or high-risk subjects and by close monitoring of adverse events (AE's), laboratory parameters, and vital signs during the study. In addition, blood fat levels will be measured on an ongoing basis.
The purpose of this study is to assess the effects of an investigational drug, PF-05221304 (PF'1304) on the way the liver handles fat. The planned study will identify why the fat in the blood increases at the same time this drug reduces fat in the liver. The study will have two treatment periods of 6 weeks each, separated by a 3 week rest period with no treatment. The subjects will receive the active drug in one of the 6 week treatment periods and a placebo in the other 6 week period. The investigators will know when the subjects are receiving active treatment or placebo, but the subject will not know.