Drug candidate successfully treats atherosclerosis and fatty liver disease in large mammals (Glycine tripeptide)

A drug candidate, previously successful at treating severe fatty liver disease, reduces atherosclerosis—a primary driver of cardiovascular death worldwide—in large mammals, a study suggests. DT-109 limited the formation of atherosclerotic plaques in both the aorta and coronary arteries of nonhuman primates. This glycine-based tripeptide also stopped critical processes that lead to vascular calcification, a significant catalyst of arterial stiffening and plaque instability. Said Eugene Chen, M.D., Ph.D., "DT-109 has demonstrated a remarkable ability to counteract the progression of atherosclerosis, an achievement that holds immense therapeutic potential." Chen's team developed DT-109 in 2019 after it was discovered that impaired glycine metabolism...