5-Minute Check In: Evaluating the Use of Resmetirom in Patients with NASH and Liver Fibrosis

First-of-its-kind medication shows promise for liver disease patients
Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), formerly known as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), is estimated to affect nearly one-quarter of adults in the United States. Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is a form of MASLD that can cause liver fibrosis, cirrhosis, liver failure, and liver cancer. It is one of the most common reasons why patients need liver transplants.
The FDA recently granted accelerated approval to resmetirom, the first medication to treat nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and liver fibrosis.
Prior to the FDA approval, there were no approved drugs to treat this disease
In this 5-minute check in, we review the promising phase 3 data from a randomized trial that led to FDA approval including the results, the implications for patient care, and the potential to transform the landscape of NASH management
Guest: Dr. Justin Reynolds, Associate Professor, Creighton University School of Medicine, Gastroenterologist and Transplant Hepatologist, St Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center Transplant Center in Phoenix, Arizona.
Study: www.nejm.org/doi/10.1056/NEJM...

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What about someone who already has progressed to cirrhosis, decompensated cirrhosis with ascites caused by portal hypertension? Can this new drug heal the scarring inside the liver that is constricting the portal vein? Can it heal scarring to the extent that a liver transplant is no longer needed?