NASH, or nonalcoholic steatohepatitis, looks to be the next big liver disease.
Seeing a multi-billion-dollar opportunity, pharmas and biotechs have pushed dozens of NASH drugs into clinical testing. With enough positive data, the most advanced could enter the market in the next few years — that much is clear.
Less clear is just about everything else. How doctors will diagnose such a large population, which patients will ultimately receive drugs, and what kind of revenue NASH therapies will generate are questions that continue to loom over the industry.
BioPharma Dive tried to find answers to those questions by speaking with more than a dozen doctors, Wall Street analysts and drug company executives. Below, three deep dives explore the biggest problems weighing on the NASH field and what's being done to solve them.
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Will a big needle burst the NASH bubble?
With less invasive tests still a few years off, doctors worry liver biopsies will limit access to the initial wave of NASH drugs — if any make it to market. Read More
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On the path to patients, NASH drugs may hit a payer roadblock
Wall Street estimates and clinical data suggest the earliest NASH drugs could come with limited efficacy but high price tags. Healthcare providers fear that won't sit well with payers. Read More
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No one knows the size of the NASH market
Industry is still using a broad estimate for the NASH population, which has led to very different views on the size of the potential market opportunity. Read More