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One critical success factor for putting a dent in Fatty Liver disease – one we do not discuss very often on the podcast – is patient empowerment. In this conversation, Roger Green and Louise Campbell are joined by patient advocates Michael Betel, Wayne Eskridge and Robert Mitchell-Thain to discuss patients’ perspectives and the extent they are considered in the clinical trial design process.

Louise leads with the question: When planning drug trials, to what degree do BioPharma companies focus on the eventual needs of the patient? Each advocate expresses significantly different perspectives. Robert starts by answering a different question: Do companies “get it?” He states that of the myriad of views held by industry partners, his focus remains on harnessing the efforts of those championing patient-centricity. 

Michael refers to his unique experience of having worked both for commercial pharma and non-profit organizations. He believes that while the patient journey matters tremendously, it’s not considered in the earliest stages of drug development. Wayne’s answer echoes this sentiment while emphasizing that interest in patient needs is driven out of marketing, not clinical development. He does note patient sensitivity has improved in recent years. 

Roger follows up, spurring investigation into the distinction between driving perpetual drug use versus creating accessible, valuable therapeutic solutions. Robert carefully discloses his discomfort with industry and NAFLD, but not NASH. He states that all three guests have improved their lived experiences with NAFLD without medical intervention. For Robert, these successes correlate with early interventional lifestyle changes, highlighting the importance of peer support. Michael returns to his idea that drug companies seek to remove barriers that limit access to treatment. Wayne expresses concern for the potential of conflicting motivators to pit social values against the accountabilities a company holds for making market systems work.

The conversation finishes with a segue into the future of digital therapeutics as a Pharma-supported patient wellness tool.