Akero Therapeutics ^{Priced, Nasdaq: AKRO}

We are a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on developing and commercializing transformative treatments for serious metabolic diseases with high unmet medical need, such as nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) which has no approved therapies. Our lead product candidate to potentially combat NASH is AKR-001, an analog of fibroblast growth factor 21. FGF21 is an endogenously-expressed hormone that regulates metabolism of lipids, carbohydrates and proteins throughout the body; plays a critical role in protecting many types of cells from various forms of stress; and its analogs have shown evidence of therapeutic benefit in clinical trials of patients with NASH, many of whom are dyslipidemic and insulin resistant. In previous clinical trials in patients with type 2 diabetes, administration of AKR-001 was associated with substantial improvements in lipid metabolism and insulin sensitivity. We believe these data demonstrate AKR-001's potential to serve as a cornerstone for the treatment of NASH. On May 24, 2019, the FDA, Division of Gastroenterology and Inborn Errors Products cleared our IND to conduct a Phase 2a clinical trial evaluating AKR-001 in the treatment of NASH patients. We plan to begin screening patients in our Phase 2a clinical trial in May 2019.