The 'Dash to NASH' drives innovation in the biopharmaceutical industry

Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), the most severe form of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), has been generating grave concern throughout the medical community, writes Thomas Liquard, chief executive of Australian biopharma Immuron (ASX:IMC), in his overview of the race to market effective treatments for this condition which is our first quarterly Special Report of 2017.

NASH patients face the dangerous risks of cirrhosis and liver cancer due to increased levels of fat deposits in the liver, intense inflammation and widespread cell damage. While fatty liver diseases are more prevalent in overweight and obese individuals due to factors such as high cholesterol and diabetes, they are also starting to become more common in individuals who do not present any of these common risk factors. Globally, an estimated 25% of people are affected by NAFLD and 70% of these patients suffer from NASH and this prevalence is growing due to our ‘western diets’ and sedentary lifestyles.

There are currently no approved treatments for NASH, creating a huge unmet need for patients that urgently needs to be addressed. This lack of approved treatments for a disease which debilitates such a large portion of the population is driving research and innovation in the biopharmaceutical industry. The winners of this ‘dash to NASH’ and the competition to be among the first to offer an effective US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved treatment, has the potential to generate billions in sales for the industry and provide relief to millions currently struggling with the disease.