
SAN FRANCISCO — Six years ago at the J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference, Intercept Pharmaceuticals (ICPT) sent investors (and journalists) scrambling to Google the definition of NASH after the surprising and positive results from a mid-stage clinical trial sent the biotech’s stock price soaring.
It’s been a long and bumpy road since January 2014, but Intercept’s NASH drug, called obeticholic acid, or OCA, is finally on the cusp of a highly anticipated Food and Drug Administration approval and commercial launch later this year.
Mark Pruzanski, Intercept’s CEO, sat down with STAT on Tuesday to discuss the company’s very busy and pivotal year ahead. This interview has been lightly edited and condensed for clarity.