Mazen’s “biggest things of summer” include Stephen’s recent article on the efruxifermin Phase 2a trial that was published in Nature and the Mayo Clinic group’s work on MRE. For the efruxifermin, he cites some remarkably positive trial results, with a second related point. The study was published in Nature Medicine, which is only now and its various publications are now looking to publish original clinical trial research on NASH and Fatty Liver disease. To Mazen, this demonstrates the growing focus on NASH as a coming challenge.
Earlier in this conversation, Stephen makes the same point a different way by noting that according to estimates published by some of our leading hepatologists, the number of NASH-related deaths from 2016-2030 in the US will dwarf the number of COVID-19 deaths to date.
On Mazen’ second point, he discusses why MRE is such an important diagnostic testing method for clinical trials and why papers like this one will be so critical in moving “Beyond the Biopsy.”
Stephen wraps up this conversation by noting how quickly Fatty Liver research and knowledge are developing on multiple paths, all in common.