Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD): Risks And Clinical Development Implications

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most common etiology of chronic liver disease and cirrhosis in developed countries. In spite of the progress in the understanding of pathophysiology there are still many uncertainties in the diagnostic approaches and evaluation, and there is no approved therapy for NASH. The frequency and clinical correlates of NAFLD phenotypes, the progression from fatty liver (FL) to steatohepatitis (or regression from NASH to FL) and the progression or improvement in hepatic fibrosis remain uncertain. In addition to specific genetic predispositions associated with more severe disease in subsets of patients (e.g. PNPLA3 I148M mutation) both disease activity and disease stage affect progression to cirrhosis.  In this webinar, Dr. Arun Sanyal will discuss risk factors for disease progression and the implications in clinical development.