Background
ZLY28 is a farnesoid X receptor (FXR) agonist and an inhibitor of fatty acid binding protein 1 (FABP1).1 It selectively induces reporter gene expression in HepG2 cells expressing human FXR (EC50 = 143 nM) over cells expressing 19 other receptors (EC50s = >10,000 nM for all). ZLY28 selectively inhibits FABP1 (IC50 = 2.7 μM) over FABP3 (IC50 = >30 μM) but also inhibits FABP4 (IC50 = 6.3 μM). In vivo, ZLY28 (20 mg/kg) induces FXR-related gene expression in the ileum but not the liver in a mouse model of carbon tetrachloride-induced non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). It also reduces hepatocyte ballooning, as well as hepatic lobular inflammation and steatosis in the same model.