By TKG’s Harshini Parvatha
A recent article published by Bloomberg frames the new Intercept drug, OCA, used for the treatment of Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis (NASH), as the “real prize” in the market today. We agree that NASH is an extremely relevant area of discussion as it affects two to five percent of the American population. However, with the growing prevalence of obesity in the United States, is a drug used to treat NASH just a “quick fix” solution for individuals who in reality need to be diligently modifying their lifestyle and dietary habits? Either way, in the day and age of immediate solutions and breakthrough treatments, a drug for NASH is definitely a game changer.
Although OCA has been shown to treat NASH effectively within multiple studies, the Bloomberg article mentions that the results from a recent small Japanese study weren’t very promising. However, we could argue that the genetic makeup of Japanese livers might have had an influence on the lack of fibrosis improvement. Despite some speculation, OCA is well on its way to be at the forefront of liver treatments.
In addition, proving a NASH diagnosis does not necessarily require a gruesome liver biopsy. Fibroscans are non-invasive devices that utilize transient elastrography to detect and quantify steatosis.
Currently, The Kinetix Group is mapping the hepatology and endocrinology NASH care delivery processes for Mount Sinai Hospital in New York. We are identifying disease-wide areas of process and coordination improvement to better the journey of a NASH patient through a health system / hospital setting.