THE NASH Tsunami audience came to know Jörn Schattenberg in the Fall of 2020 when he shared a paper he had recently co-authored on why NASH drug trials failed. This week, the same group that discussed that paper – Jörn, Stephen Harrison, Louise Campbell and Roger Green – reflect on what has improved in the intervening time period and what has not. The group suggest that researchers are making progress in reducing screen fail rates, but not in the critical issues of accessibility and equity.

After I share a brief history of earlier podcasts looking at why NASH drug trials fail, Jörn Schattenberg and Stephen Harrison share some ways that their own practices have changed in terms of recruiting patients into clinical trials. Both investigators note that use of non-invasive tests, or NITs, have played an increasing role in patient assessment and trial assignments. Jörn speaks more generally about becoming less reliant on biopsies. Stephen discusses specific ways he is utilizing various NITs at different points in the process.