Pliant Therapeutics Announces Presentations at the International Liver Congress™ 2022

SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif., June 15, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Pliant Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: PLRX), a clinical stage biotechnology company focused on discovering and developing novel therapeutics for the treatment of fibrosis, today announced that the Company will present two scientific posters at the International Liver Congress™ 2022 of the European Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL), taking place June 22-26, 2022, in London, United Kingdom.

Poster:	Rationale for Evaluation of PLN-74809 Treatment in Participants with Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis in Phase 2A Study INTEGRIS-PSC
Presenter:	Éric Lefebvre, M.D., Pliant Therapeutics
Session:	Immune-mediated and Cholestatic Disease: Clinical Aspects
Date:	June 23, 2022
Time:	9:00 am - 6:30 pm BST

This poster summarizes the findings from preclinical studies investigating the antifibrotic activity resulting from dual α_vß₆ and α_vß₁ integrin inhibition by PLN-74809 in precision-cut liver slices (PCLivS) from patients with primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) and in vivo models of PSC, that supported the rationale for the Phase 2a clinical evaluation of PLN-74809 in participants with large-duct PSC in the ongoing INTEGRIS-PSC study.

Poster:	Dual Inhibition of Integrins αvß6 and αvß1 Decreases Portal Pressure and Liver Fibrosis in Rats with Biliary Cirrhosis
Presenter:	Philipp Königshofer, DVM, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna
Session:	Fibrosis: General Hepatology
Date:	June 24, 2022
Time:	9:00 am – 6:00 pm BST

This poster investigates the effects of PLN-75068, a dual α_vß₆ / α_vß₁ inhibitor tool compound, on liver fibrosis and portal hypertension in rats with cholestatic biliary cirrhosis.

Posters presented at the EASL International Liver Congress™ 2022 will be available on-demand on Pliant’s website under the Publications section at https://pliantrx.com/publications.

About Pliant Therapeutics, Inc.

Pliant Therapeutics is a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering and developing novel therapies for the treatment of fibrosis. Pliant's lead product candidate, PLN-74809, is an oral small molecule dual selective inhibitor of α_vß₆ and α_vß₁ integrins that is in development in the lead indications for the treatment of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, or IPF, and primary sclerosing cholangitis, or PSC. PLN-74809 has received Fast Track Designation and Orphan Drug Designation from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in IPF and Orphan Drug Designation from the FDA and European Medicines Agency in PSC. Pliant is currently conducting Phase 2a trials of PLN-74809 in the lead indications of IPF and PSC. Pliant has also developed PLN-1474, a small molecule selective inhibitor of α_vß₁ for the treatment of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis, or NASH with liver fibrosis, which Pliant has transferred to Novartis pursuant to our development partnership. In addition to clinical stage programs, Pliant currently has two preclinical programs targeting oncology and muscular dystrophies. For additional information about Pliant Therapeutics, visit www.pliantrx.com and follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook and YouTube.

Investor and Media Contact:

Christopher Keenan
Vice President, Investor Relations and Corporate Communications
Pliant Therapeutics, Inc.
ir@pliantrx.co