NEW YORK, June 21, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP, a leading national securities law firm, is investigating potential claims against Akero Therapeutics, Inc. (“Akero” or the “Company”) (NASDAQ: AKRO) and reminds investors of the June 25, 2024 deadline to seek the role of lead plaintiff in a federal securities class action that has been filed against the Company.

Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP Securities Litigation Partner James (Josh) Wilson Encourages Investors Who Suffered Losses Exceeding $75,000 In Akero To Contact Him Directly To Discuss Their Options

If you suffered losses exceeding $75,000 investing in Akero stock or options between September 13, 2022 and October 9, 2023 and would like to discuss your legal rights, call Faruqi & Faruqi partner Josh Wilson directly at 877-247-4292 or 212-983-9330 (Ext. 1310). You may also click here for additional information: www.faruqilaw.com/AKRO.

Faruqi & Faruqi is a leading national securities law firm with offices in New York, Pennsylvania, California and Georgia. The firm has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for investors since its founding in 1995. See www.faruqilaw.com.

Akero is a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company focused on advancing its lead product candidate efruxifermin (“EFX”) to provide a new treatment for patients with nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (“NASH”), a serious liver disease. During the Class Period, Akero claimed to be evaluating EFX in two Phase 2 clinical trials in patients with biopsy-confirmed NASH: (i) Akero’s “HARMONY” trial that tested EFX in pre-cirrhotic NASH patients; and (ii) Akero’s “SYMMETRY” trial that purportedly tested EFX in patients with NASH-induced cirrhosis.

As detailed below, the complaint alleges that the Company and its executives violated federal securities laws by making false and/or misleading statements and/or failing to disclose that: (i) approximately 20% of the patients enrolled in the SYMMETRY study had cryptogenic cirrhosis and did not have definitive NASH at baseline; (ii) the cryptogenic cirrhotic patients included in the SYMMETRY study did not have biopsy-proven compensated cirrhosis due to definitive NASH; (iii) the results from the cryptogenic cirrhosis patients were to be excluded from the calculation of the NASH resolution secondary endpoints; (iv) Akero had introduced a confounding factor into the SYMMETRY study’s design, materially influencing the study’s potential results and increasing the risks that the study would fail to meet its primary endpoint; (v) the SYMMETRY study did not align with U.S. Food & Drug Administration guidance for testing a drug in treating NASH cirrhotics because Akero had not ruled out potential causes of each patient’s cirrhosis other than NASH; and (vi) consequently, Akero had materially misrepresented the nature of the SYMMETRY trial, its usefulness in supporting any new drug application, the likelihood that the SYMMETRY trial would be successful as measured by its primary endpoint, and the likelihood that EFX would become a commercial treatment for NASH cirrhotics.

On October 10, 2023, Akero posted disappointing interim data from its Phase 2b SYMMETRY trial for its lead candidate efruxifermin ("EFX") in patients with liver disorder nonalcoholic steatohepatitis ("NASH"). Specifically, the Company stated that 22% (28mg) and 24% (50mg) of those on EFX and 14% on placebo indicated at least one stage improvement in fibrosis with no worsening of NASH at week 36, the trial's primary endpoint, but that these changes were not statistically significant. In addition, Akero added that 12 patients, including 11 in EFX groups, discontinued the trial due to drug-related adverse events.

On this news, Akero's stock price fell $30.39 per share, or 62.61%, to close at $18.15 per share on October 10, 2023.

The court-appointed lead plaintiff is the investor with the largest financial interest in the relief sought by the class who is adequate and typical of class members who directs and oversees the litigation on behalf of the putative class. Any member of the putative class may move the Court to serve as lead plaintiff through counsel of their choice, or may choose to do nothing and remain an absent class member. Your ability to share in any recovery is not affected by the decision to serve as a lead plaintiff or not.  

Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP also encourages anyone with information regarding Akero’s conduct to contact the firm, including whistleblowers, former employees, shareholders and others.

To learn more about the Akero Therapeutics class action, go to www.faruqilaw.com/AKRO or call Faruqi & Faruqi partner Josh Wilson directly at 877-247-4292 or 212-983-9330 (Ext. 1310).

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