SAN FRANCISCO – New data from two midstage studies of Gilead Sciences Inc.'s farnesoid X receptor (FXR) agonist reported during the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases meeting showcased the company's ongoing efforts to establish new strengths beyond viral hepatitis C, where time and competition have eroded its dominance. Though still active on the next frontier of the hepatitis battle, hepatitis B virus, most of the company's liver disease pipeline today is focused on nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) and primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC).