Gilead Sciences Inc.'s tentative drug, GS-9450, was revealed in a mid-stage experiment to improve signs of liver injury in patients with non-alcoholic steatohepatitis, the most critical form of liver sickness in people who consume little or no alcohol.

Researchers said that the Phase II trial, entailing 124 patients, revealed that treatment with the drug, decreased levels of alanine (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferases (AST), hepatic enzymes, which indicate cell injury.

On Friday, the findings were submitted in Vienna at the International Liver Congress.

GS-9450 is a caspase inhibitor devised to obstruct proteins, which instigate programmed cell loss in injured cells.

Gilead said that the drug is a prospective new treatment option for patients with non-alcoholic steatohepatitis, or NASH, an ailment exemplified by fat in the liver, together with inflammation and harm like scar tissue, cirrhosis and ultimately liver failure.

Further exploration is required to assess the drug's efficiency and safety in bigger patient populations.

The experiment found that after four weeks, 35% patients treated with the maximum dose of GS-9450 attained ALT levels within the standard range, while 48% reached normal levels of AST.