BUZZ-Akero Therapeutics surges on mid-stage data from liver disease trial

** Shares of drug developer Akero Therapeutics AKRO.O rise 91.5% to $50.14 premarket

** AKRO reports positive preliminary results from mid-stage trial testing its lead experimental drug to treat liver scarring caused by metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH) - a type of fatty liver disease

** Co says 39% of patients treated with drug efruxifermin showed reversal of liver scarring with no worsening of MASH, compared to 15% for placebo

** Adds it will continue to evaluate efruxifermin in ongoing late-stage study

** AKRO says the drug was generally well-tolerated with no related deaths, adds there was one death in the placebo arm due to pneumonia

** Stock rose 19.1% in 2024