AKRO vs NVS

Akero Therapeutics Inc.

Akero Therapeutics, Inc., a cardio-metabolic nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) company, engages in the development of medicines designed to restore metabolic balance and improve overall health. Its lead product candidate is efruxifermin (EFX), an analog of fibroblast growth factor 21, which protects against cellular stress and regulates metabolism of lipids, carbohydrates, and proteins throughout the body. The company also conducts a Phase 2a clinical trial, the BALANCED study, to evaluate EFX in the treatment of biopsy-confirmed NASH patients. The company was formerly known as Pippin Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and changed its name to Akero Therapeutics, Inc. in May 2018. Akero Therapeutics, Inc. was incorporated in 2017 and is headquartered in South San Francisco, California.

Novartis AG

Novartis AG researches, develops, manufactures, and markets healthcare products worldwide. The company operates through two segments, Innovative Medicines and Sandoz. The Innovative Medicines segment offers prescription medicines for patients and healthcare providers. It also provides ophthalmology, neuroscience, immunology, hepatology and dermatology, respiratory, established, and cardiovascular, renal and metabolism medicine products. The Sandoz segment provides active ingredients and finished dosage forms of small molecule pharmaceuticals to third parties across a range of therapeutic areas, as well as finished dosage form anti-infectives. It also provides active pharmaceutical ingredients and intermediates primarily antibiotics; protein- or other biotechnology-based products, including biosimilars; and biotechnology manufacturing services. Novartis AG has a license and collaboration agreement with Alnylam Pharmaceuticals to develop, manufacture, and commercialize inclisiran; an agreement with CureVac to manufacture COVID-19 vaccine candidate CVnCoV; a collaboration with Artios Pharma Limited to create next generation DDR cancer therapies; and a clinical collaboration with Kura Oncology, Inc. to evaluate the combination of Tipifarnib and Alpelisib in patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. The company was incorporated in 1996 and is headquartered in Basel, Switzerland.