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00:00:00 - Surf's Up: Season 6 Episode 7
Host Roger Green explains our recent vacation from publishing episodes, assures the audience that the podcast will continue weekly for months and years ahead, and discusses the episode's sections, covering the Global Think-Tank on Steatotic Liver Disease (SLD), the EASL patient screening activity and the increasing role of NITs in drug development. While introducing roundtable guests, he introduces first-time Surfer Dr. Kristina Curtis of the UK-based consultancy, Applied Behaviour Change.

00:09:11 - Roundtable I: From the Global Think-Tank on SLD

This discussion starts with co-host Jörn Schattenberg discussing the history and evolution of the first four Global Think-Tanks as the focus shifts from educating medical professionals about liver disease to incorporating a broader group of stakeholders, including politicians and non-hepatologist MDs, to break down siloes and create wider awareness. Co-host Louise Campbell describes the breadth of stakeholders necessary to address this pandemic fully. She explains how her work with transient elastography and the MyLife365.me app constitutes a form of behavioral therapy. Jörn describes the test as a diagnostic and comments that the treatment is what health professionals do with the results. Kristina says that the behavioral change that results comes from well-delivered feedback. She describes "hybrid interventions, digital interventions with a human in the loop." Louise discusses results from the EASL late-breaker that support these findings and goes on to discuss the role AI can play in medical practices.

00:23:50 - Newsmaker: Jose Willemse, Dutch Liver Patients Association 

This discussion covers two primary topics: (1) the Amsterdam screening activity that took place during EASL. Jose describes the phenomenal level of interest in this activity, in which hepatologists and APPs scanned 400 people per day for MASLD and MASH. Boosted by significant mass publicity in Amsterdam, the number of people seeking screening exceeded the 400/day quota, with some arriving in line hours before the scheduled start time and others traveling for hours to reach the site. Jose believes that with adequate publicity, efforts like these could be replicated around the world, but that the healthcare system lacks the necessary resources to do so. In terms of patient care, Jose emphasized the importance of sensitive yet frank conversations and helping patients appreciate the successes they are achieving. 

00:53:45 - Roundtable II: NITs Increasing Role in Drug Development 

Sven Francque and Naim Alhouri joined Louise, Jörn and Roger for this roundtable, although Naim had dropped off by this time. The conversation starts with Louise noting that the goal of therapy is not simply to treat MASLD, but to achieve overall metabolic health, of which MASLD is a key component. Jörn states that we are on the path toward conducting clinical trials entirely with NITs as disease markers, which he describes as a "game changer" and Louise terms "exciting." She asks whether NITs can serve as the only trial surrogate. Jörn and Sven agree that we are not at that point yet, but we are headed in that direction. Jörn asserts that "nothing" will replace outcomes as the prerequisite for full approval and mentions the VCTE study group as demonstrating that a large NIT-based trial can prove effects on disease. Louise cautions that operator competency is a key, if overlooked, criterion for this kind of activity. Sven concurs and states that repeat measures are crucial in managing disease. Jörn notes that practices can serve as centers of care, but will need support from nutritionists and other professionals. 

01:06:08 - Business Report

Roger highlights special September programming, indicates that new sponsors are on the way, an