Gilead Sciences, the maker of hepatitis C virus (HCV) drugs Sovaldi and Harvoni, has bought a new treatment program for non-alcoholic steatohepatitis, or NASH, from biotech firm Phenex Pharmaceuticals, The Wall Street Journal reports. The deal could be worth as much as $470 million.

Closely related to obesity, NASH is a chronic hepatic condition characterized by excessive fat and inflammation in the liver. The condition, an advanced form of fatty liver disease, can lead to cirrhosis, fibrosis and eventually liver failure. So far, there is no approved treatment for NASH in the United States.

The agreement gives Gilead rights to Phenex’s new farnesoid X receptor program, which aims to help patients better regulate their lipid, bile and glucose levels to prevent and treat potential damage.

NASH is estimated to affect up to 20 percent of the developed world today. The disease is expected to affect as many as half of all Americans by 2030.