Galecto, Inc. announced that the first patient has been treated with the galectin-3 inhibitor GB1211 in the Phase 1b/2a GULLIVER-2 trial. This trial marks the initiation of Galecto’s clinical program for GB1211 in liver cirrhosis. Top line data from the full trial is expected in the second half of 2022. The GULLIVER-2 trial (NCT05009680) will assess the safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics and efficacy of GB1211 in up to 54 participants, including liver cirrhosis patients with moderate or severe hepatic impairment (Child Pugh classes B and C). The trial will randomize liver cirrhosis patients of any etiology and evaluate the impact of GB1211 on liver fibrosis and liver function. Galectin-3 plays a key role in fibrosis development through cellular activation and the production of collagen, and Galecto has demonstrated that inhibiting the galectin-3 target with GB1211 reduces fibrosis in multiple animal models. Galectin-3 is elevated in cirrhosis patients and is a prognostic biomarker of hepatocellular carcinoma, a known complication of liver cirrhosis.