On Thursday, the Food and Drug Administration announced its approval of the first ever therapeutic treatment targeting metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH).
This represents a pivotal moment in healthcare and calls for a celebration.
This new therapeutic for advanced-stage liver disease is significant because, until now, diet and exercise were the only available treatment options.
It’s true this drug will be game-changing for physicians. More importantly, it will be life-changing for patients.
As we celebrate this milestone, we must ask ourselves: Are we truly prepared for when this drug hits the market?
The dire current reality
Nearly 1 in 4 Americans suffer from metabolic dysfunction–associated steatotic liver disease. Of that population, 20% have the more advanced disease form, MASH.
The more concerning issue is that millions more are walking around undiagnosed.
Known as the silent killer, liver disease is often asymptomatic in early stages and can lead to cancer and cirrhosis, as well as increased risk of cardiovascular disease and death. Put simply, unless patients are screened early, they may never know they have a fatal condition until it’s too late.
Sadly, many patients are unaware of where the liver is or what it does. Those who abstain from alcohol rarely give liver disease a second thought. This misunderstanding is dangerous and deadly—liver disease can occur regardless of alcohol consumption.
It’s only the beginning. This is a new dawn in liver health
Despite the excitement surrounding a MASH therapeutic, it’s far from the finish line. We cannot afford to let late-stage therapeutics be the treatment strategy. This is a marathon, and only when we normalize monitoring liver health earlier for all patients will the finish line come into view.
Patients, providers and payers can no longer ignore liver disease. It’s too debilitating, too destructive, too costly, too deadly. Consider this a wake-up call. The journey to better liver health is underway, and, collectively, we must act now. Failing to do so now only worsens the already dire landscape of liver health mismanagement and death.
The solutions will require all of us to start making liver health a priority.
Liver assessment screenings are essential
Noninvasive solutions are available, highly accurate and more efficient than ever before. Any drug is only as effective as our ability to get it into the hands of the right patients. Noninvasive screenings will be essential for physicians to accurately identify patients who may be good candidates for the new MASH therapeutic and assist in monitoring drug response over time.
These screenings can happen at a physician’s office and exam results can be ready in minutes. They are streamlined for the operator and painless for the patient. Perhaps most importantly, these screenings are critical to accurately assess a patient’s need for a therapeutic and essential for monitoring the patient’s drug response.
Proper infrastructure and support for providers
The good news is that physicians will have advanced screening technology and a new therapeutic at their fingertips. However, patient care for liver disease doesn’t end with a diagnosis and a prescription.
We need innovative, robust platforms physicians can use to monitor patient progress over time. This is uncharted territory in this field, and new technology will be needed to support this vital form of treatment. The technology needs to be user-friendly, functional and time-efficient, empowering physicians to provide overall better patient care.
Payers also have a vital role. Noninvasive screenings provide low-cost exams with the potential for positive impact on patient treatment outcomes. Soon, payers must shift to cover preventive measures including these types of screenings and therapeutics. At the primary care level, we must collaborate with providers to encourage early screenings, as well as provide comprehensive training to ensure widespread awareness and adoption.
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Patients have a key role to play, too. They must first learn the importance of liver health and how it is integral to their overall health and well-being. They could even start including their liver health in conversations with their doctors. Public health campaigns have been successful in bringing awareness and education to the patient population around certain cancers, and were an important part of incorporating regular cancer screenings into routine primary care visits—so, too, must we push for these early and routine screenings when it comes to liver health.
A better future is within reach
The path ahead demands collective effort from providers, payers and patients to prioritize liver health. The crux of this work hinges on the widespread adoption of noninvasive liver assessment screening tools and technology.
We are making significant strides toward raising awareness of liver disease. The MASH drug is evidence of that. Innovations in liver assessment technology are ever-improving and transformative within this space. Together, these solutions are poised to launch us into a new era in liver health. Change is at our doorstep—just in time to meet the rising tsunami of patient and clinician needs.
I envision an era of preventive healthcare where liver health assessments are as routine as the current screening protocol for colon and breast cancers. This vision is no longer a distant dream. It’s an attainable reality if only we continue to elevate awareness of liver disease and enhance the accessibility of noninvasive screenings. These proactive measures are within our grasp, promising a future where comprehensive liver care is a standard of health for everyone.
Jon Gingrich is the CEO of Echosens North America, a high-technology company offering the FibroScan family of noninvasive, rapid and painless examination products to accurately and proactively assess liver health.