The Liver Meeting 2021-Part III: Managing the Epidemic of Fatty Liver from Obesity and Alcohol

Video Transcription

Video Summary

The video discusses the importance of early identification and referral for liver transplantation in patients with alcoholic hepatitis and the challenges associated with the current system. It emphasizes the need for aggressive early listing of potential candidates, as only around 30% of patients may be eligible for transplantation, with many not responding to corticosteroids. The presentation focuses on alcoholic hepatitis and the need for refined criteria to determine appropriate referrals for liver transplantation in these patients.<br /><br />The second part of the video covers the landscape of drug development for non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) over the past decade. There has been a significant increase in trials focusing on histopathological endpoints like NASH resolution and fibrosis improvement. The FDA requires these endpoints as surrogates for long-term benefits. Various drugs targeting insulin resistance, lipid metabolism, inflammation, and fibrosis are in development, with combination therapy seen as the future of NASH treatment. The challenges in histological endpoint assessment are being addressed through central readings, AI digital pathology, and the use of specific scores. Research into precision medicine and non-invasive diagnostic tools is ongoing to improve patient outcomes in NASH therapy.

Keywords

liver transplantation

alcoholic hepatitis

early identification

referral

corticosteroids

aggressive listing

transplant eligibility

NASH

non-alcoholic steatohepatitis

drug development

histopathological endpoints

insulin resistance

fibrosis improvement

combination therapy

precision medicine