Surfing the MASH Tsunami

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As International #NASHDay 2023 approaches on June 8th, Surfing NASH dedicates a session to explore what makes this year’s occasion incredibly important for patient advocacy and what we all can consider in preparation. Founder, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Global Liver Institute (GLI), Donna Cryer, shares her anticipations alongside Pamela Danagher (Terns Pharmaceuticals) and co-hosts Jörn Schattenberg and Roger Green.

This session starts with Roger asking Donna to point to one thing that happened in 2022 that had ripples in the pond of liver disease. He also wonders what will stimulate folks to think about what to do this year in terms of having an effect on 2024. Donna highlights distributing over $100,000 in community grants to support organizations in hosting events around the world for NASH education and advocacy. This investment has since led to strengthening partnerships and programs to promote liver health in places like Africa and India. One such activity that has seen an explosion in energy as a result of these partnerships is NASH clinical trial recruitment. For example, a San Diego chapter of GLI’s Liver Action Network identified 26 patients in a single day at one of their events. Donna and her team are digging deep to learn what worked so well that day and how to replicate results like this in the future. Pamela emphasizes the utility of strong clinical trial recruitment for continued drug development in a post-approval environment. Donna speaks to the need of connecting and diversifying the networks of care providers so that patients have referral access to endocrinologists in addition to hepatologists and gastroenterologists. Jörn underscores the untapped potential of the liver community in its ability to enable patients to take control of their liver conditions.

If you enjoy the episode, have questions or interest around its contents and Fatty Liver disease, we kindly ask that you submit reviews wherever you download our discussions. Further, if you have questions or interest around participating in #NASHDay 2023, please let us know your ideas by writing to [email protected].

Stay Safe and Surf On!

Send us Fan Mail

As International #NASHDay 2023 approaches on June 8th, Surfing NASH dedicates a session to explore what makes this year’s occasion incredibly important for patient advocacy and what we all can consider in preparation. Founder, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Global Liver Institute (GLI), Donna Cryer, shares her anticipations alongside Pamela Danagher (Terns Pharmaceuticals) and co-hosts Jörn Schattenberg and Roger Green.

Roger turns to Jörn and Pamela for their first impressions on what #NASHDay 2023 means to them. Jörn recalls his participation in the inaugural launch of #NASHDay in 2018, highlighting the unique and intimate qualities which characterize the campaign as community-centered. Donna shares an amusing anecdote of the support of a fellow Surfer, Manal Abdelmalek, before disclosing this year’s theme: Step Up to NASH. The group goes on to envision ways by which this theme of Step Up to NASH can manifest. Whether introducing institutions to GLI’s NASH Action Plan or organizing community climbs of iconic steps around the world, the goal is to engage and empower. Finally, Pamela adds her thoughts around what about having therapeutic approval will be a watershed moment for NASH in terms of leading the field into further developments.

If you enjoy the episode, have questions or interest around its contents and Fatty Liver disease, we kindly ask that you submit reviews wherever you download our discussions. Further, if you have questions or interest around participating in #NASHDay 2023, please let us know your ideas by writing to [email protected].

Stay Safe and Surf On!

Send us Fan Mail

As International #NASHDay 2023 approaches on June 8th, Surfing NASH dedicates a session to explore what makes this year’s occasion incredibly important for patient advocacy and what we all can consider in preparation. Founder, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Global Liver Institute (GLI), Donna Cryer, shares her anticipations alongside Pamela Danagher (Terns Pharmaceuticals) and co-hosts Jörn Schattenberg and Roger Green.

This conversation begins with Roger’s comment that 2023 is a critically important  year for fatty liver disease and therefore sets the stage for a critically important #NASHDay. He asks Donna to describe any elements that GLI has pinpointed as pivotal in the approach to #NASHDay 2023. Donna first acknowledges the goal of facilitating and catalyzing all stakeholders to discover what fatty liver disease and NASH means to them. Over the last six years, #NASHDay has greatly grown in outreach and its impact on combating fatty liver. She goes on to state that this #NASHDay is embedded in the context of a momentous series of activities. Among these activities could be the milestone of a first NASH drug approval. Such a watershed moment requires a tremendous push for patient advocacy, education and regulatory organization.

If you enjoy the episode, have questions or interest around its contents and Fatty Liver disease, we kindly ask that you submit reviews wherever you download our discussions. Further, if you have questions or interest around participating in #NASHDay 2023, please let us know your ideas by writing to [email protected].

Stay Safe and Surf On!

Send us Fan Mail

As International #NASHDay 2023 approaches on June 8th, Surfing NASH dedicates a session to explore what makes this year’s occasion incredibly important for patient advocacy and what we all can consider in preparation. Founder, President and CEO of the Global Liver Institute (GLI), Donna Cryer, shares her anticipations alongside Pamela Danagher (Terns Pharmaceuticals) and co-hosts Jörn Schattenberg and Roger Green.

04:43 This Year’s Theme: #StepUpToNASH
Donna begins by acknowledging the goal of facilitating and catalyzing all stakeholders to discover what fatty liver disease and NASH means to them. She goes on to describe that this #NASHDay is embedded in the context of a momentous series of activities. Among these activities could be the milestone of a NASH drug approval, which requires a tremendous push for patient advocacy, education and regulatory organization. Jörn recalls his participation in the inaugural launch of #NASHDay in 2018, highlighting the unique and intimate qualities which characterize the campaign as community-centered.

20:05 The Untapped Potential of the Liver Community
Roger asks Donna to point to one thing that happened in 2022 that had ripples in the pond of liver disease. He also wonders what will stimulate folks to think about what to do this year in terms of having an effect on the outlook and agenda of 2024. Donna highlights distributing over $100,000 in community grants to support organizations to host global events around NASH education and advocacy. The investments have since led to strengthening partnerships and programs to promote liver health in places like Africa and India. One such partnering activity that has seen an explosion in energy is NASH clinical trial recruitment. Pam emphasizes the utility behind strong clinical trial recruitment for continued drug development in a post-approval environment.

27:54 Activating Awareness Across Communities
The group considers what activating awareness looks like in different community settings. Donna notes the opportunity for larger companies to be involved in educating their employees on liver health. Jörn notes that simple communication within families is critical because we know there are higher rates of incidence in fatty liver disease for those sharing common genetics, diets and environments. Pam discusses the role of noninvasive technologies in screening/diagnosing patients and developing robust and accessible trial entry points. This prompts Donna to express interest in conducting mobile FibroScan clinics. As ideas continue to flow, it is also noted that fatty liver disease could benefit from having a celebrity patient advocate. Donna shouts out to baseball player and musician, Bernie Williams, for lending his voice to awareness around liver health.

37:09 "It Takes a Village"
As the session winds down, each panelists proposes a few additional “step ups” to consider for this year’s #NASHDay. Jörn looks to plan early at his own clinic in addition to engaging the professional societies. Roger suggests obesity to be an intertwined area of focus for collaboration. From an industry perspective, Pam is interested in improving regulatory and drug development through opportunities to streamline or simplify their various processes. Finally, Donna departs and the remaining three panelists share final thoughts around what they look forward to in this year's day dedicated to fighting Fatty Liver. 

If you enjoy the episode, have questions or interest around participating in #NASHDay 2023, please let us know your ideas by writing to [email protected]. 

Stay Safe and Surf On!

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This week on Surfing NASH, co-hosts Jörn Schattenberg and Roger Green review the recently concluded Liver Forum. Joining discussion are Liver Forum Executive Director Veronica Miller and speakers Mazen Noureddin (Houston Research Institute), Michelle Long (Novo Nordisk) and Jeff McIntyre (Global Liver Institute).

This conversation From the Vault begins with Quentin Anstee complimenting Stephen Harrison for his observation that when we analyze NASH biomarkers, we should consider the value of sustained response separate from early OR late response.

From here, the group moves to the concept of “stacked” tests — confirmatory results from different NITs as a way to assess efficacy in an individual clinical trial subject. The conversation takes some twists and turns, but the core concept is unique, challenging and a significant step forward in the broader discussion of how to analyze biomarkers.

If you enjoy the episode, have questions or interest around its contents and Fatty Liver disease, we kindly ask that you submit reviews wherever you download our discussions. Alternatively, you can write to us directly at [email protected].


Stay Safe and Surf On!

Send us Fan Mail

This week on Surfing NASH, co-hosts Jörn Schattenberg and Roger Green review the recently concluded Liver Forum. Joining discussion are Liver Forum Executive Director Veronica Miller and speakers Mazen Noureddin (Houston Research Institute), Michelle Long (Novo Nordisk) and Jeff McIntyre (Global Liver Institute).

In this final conversation, Roger prompts the group to share additional takeaways from the meeting that they feel would be valuable for the audience to review in the published slides. Michelle shares that the meeting strongly made clear the importance of collaborative thought and grappling with different perspectives while guided by patient needs. Jeff states that while it’s easy for the community to become self-congratulatory on the precipice of a first drug approval, he saw how approvals will morph and magnify challenges, particularly in terms of clinical trials going forward. Roger highlights how the meeting reframed for him the narrative around patient journey. Lastly, Veronica voices her appreciation for all forms of feedback which will help the Forum “push the science, push the thinking, and push the innovation to make things happen.” 

If you enjoy the episode, have questions or interest around its contents and Fatty Liver disease, we kindly ask that you submit reviews wherever you download our discussions. Alternatively, you can write to us directly at [email protected].


Stay Safe and Surf On!

Send us Fan Mail

Send us Fan Mail

This week on Surfing NASH, co-hosts Jörn Schattenberg and Roger Green review the recently concluded Liver Forum. Joining discussion are Liver Forum Executive Director Veronica Miller and speakers Mazen Noureddin (Houston Research Institute), Michelle Long (Novo Nordisk) and Jeff McIntyre (Global Liver Institute).

Roger leads this conversation by asking the panelists to pick a particular session that captured their attention in a way that could not have been predicted. Michelle first mentions how the agenda as a whole illuminated the depth of the issues surrounding drug development for the fatty liver field. Veronica points to an interactive session titled NASH Drug Development in the Era of Approved Drugs, commending friends of the podcast Manal Abdelmalek and Pamela Danagher for their brilliant moderation. She says that hosting an unscripted panel in a safe environment with engaged participants is a way to “push the envelope and move the field forward.” Jörn notes data presented from the European Heart Journal as an exciting example of exploring and utilizing literature from outside the liver field. At this point, Mazen offers a more tangible description of some content covered. He details general concepts behind a session on Cirrhosis Working Group Updates which included his presentation on Compensated Cirrhosis Risk Stratification. As the conversation winds down, Veronica reminds that the slides from the event are published on the Liver Forum website and well worth a review. 

If you enjoy the episode, have questions or interest around its contents and Fatty Liver disease, we kindly ask that you submit reviews wherever you download our discussions. Alternatively, you can write to us directly at [email protected].


Stay Safe and Surf On!

Send us Fan Mail

This week on Surfing NASH, co-hosts Jörn Schattenberg and Roger Green review the recently concluded Liver Forum. Joining discussion are Liver Forum Executive Director Veronica Miller and speakers Mazen Noureddin (Houston Research Institute), Michelle Long (Novo Nordisk) and Jeff McIntyre (Global Liver Institute). Veronica leads this conversation with a recap of how the Forum aims to advance the regulatory sciences for the treatment of NAFLD/NASH and liver fibrosis by providing an independent and neutral venue for multi-stakeholder dialogue. She underscores the importance of being able to convene as a community to discuss how drugs get researched and approved, and how patients participate in this ongoing process. Jeff notes that patient involvement has increased with each successive year and points to a panel discussion following a presentation on OCA Program Learnings that featured a patient representative. Veronica later comments on the Forum’s history of representing patient voices at both an organization and individual level. Michelle reminds that “at the end of the day, it's about making people feel, function and survive better.” From the patient perspective, halting progression and stabilizing disease are significant quality of life components for treating NASH. Jörn agrees that this message around stabilization of disease can be better amplified before describing how the energies of the meeting carried through to Europe where he was attending remotely. Roger, who also attended remotely, comments positively on the cohesiveness of the program. Finally, Mazen introduces a few of the specific scientific topics explored. Namely, he touches on cirrhosis, the future of combination therapy, clinical trial design and a session on statistics which proved entertaining with charismatic presenters. 

If you enjoy the episode, have questions or interest around its contents and Fatty Liver disease, we kindly ask that you submit reviews wherever you download our discussions. Alternatively, you can write to us directly at [email protected].


Stay Safe and Surf On!

Send us Fan Mail

This week on Surfing NASH, co-hosts Jörn Schattenberg and Roger Green review the recently concluded Liver Forum. Joining discussion are Liver Forum Executive Director Veronica Miller and speakers Mazen Noureddin (Houston Research Institute), Michelle Long (Novo Nordisk) and Jeff McIntyre (Global Liver Institute). This integrative meeting aims to advance the regulatory sciences for the treatment of NAFLD/NASH and liver fibrosis by providing an independent and neutral venue for ongoing multi-stakeholder dialogue. The resulting conversations facilitate making the best science-based decisions on how to study efficacy and safety in real time as collective knowledge and experience with therapies for liver diseases develops. This year’s meeting proved particularly stimulating in light of imminent drug approvals.

What is The Liver Forum and First Impressions from The Meeting
Veronica underscores the importance of being able to convene as a community to make advances in how drugs get researched and approved, and how patients participate in this ongoing process. Jeff notes benefits around increasing patient involvement in multiple panels with each successive year. Michelle reminds that “at the end of the day, it's about making people feel, function and survive better.” She notes that from the patient perspective, halting progression and stabilizing disease are significant quality of life components for treating NASH - a message which could see more amplification. Jörn describes how the energies of the meeting carried through to Europe where he was participating remotely. Roger, who also attended remotely, comments positively on the cohesiveness of the program. Finally, Mazen introduces specific topics explored, namely cirrhosis, the future of combination therapy and clinical trial design.

Panelists Select Sessions of Interest
Each share takeaways around specific sessions that captured their attention in a way that could not have been predicted. Michelle mentions how the agenda as a whole illuminated the depth of the issues surrounding drug development for the fatty liver field. Veronica points to an interactive session titled NASH Drug Development in the Era of Approved Drugs, commending the moderators and friends of the podcast Manal Abdelmalek and Pamela Danagher. She says that hosting an unscripted panel in a safe environment with brilliant participants is a way to “push the envelope and move the field forward.” Jörn notes data presented from the European Heart Journal as an exciting example of exploring and utilizing literature from outside the liver field. Mazen elaborates on scientific concepts distilled from a session on cirrhosis.

Session VIII: Stretch Exercise: New Look at Statistics
Veronica describes a session dedicated to statistics and being impressed with how well it played out. In agreement, both Roger and Jeff share different perspectives as to how the session succeeded. Scott Evans of George Washington University opened with Desirability of Outcome Ranking (DOOR) Analysis. Lauren Dang of UC Berkeley followed with her talk, Hybrid Randomized/Real-World Data Designs: A Case Study of Semaglutide and Cardiovascular Outcomes.

Closing Comments
As the session winds down, the group describes takeaways that might appear in the soon-to-be published slides from the meeting. If you enjoy the episode, have questions or interest around the Liver Forum and Fatty Liver disease, we kindly ask that you submit reviews wherever you download our discussions. Alternatively, you can write to us directly at [email protected].

Stay Safe and Surf On!