NASH: The next untapped pharma market gives investors many options

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NASH: It's Fibrosis, Not Fat, that Matters
Analysis sheds new light on what drives disease progression
AMSTERDAM -- It isn't fat but rather fibrosis that drives disease progression in people with advanced non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), a researcher said here

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Investment Commentary

Drugmakers are taking a wide range of approaches to treat the complex disease, given multiple health issues among NASH patients that contribute to the liver damage, such as heart disease and diabetes. There are drugs targeting inflammation to prevent or reduce fibrotic scarring. Some address lipid regulation to reduce liver fat, while others attempt to directly halt or reverse fibrosis. And some companies are testing diabetes treatments to assess their ability to also improve NASH.

NASH: The next untapped pharma market gives investors many options
By Bill Berkrot
Large drugmakers with piles of cash are on the hunt for promising medicines being developed by small companies to treat NASH, a progressive fatty liver disease poised to become the leading cause of liver transplants by 2020.   

Pfizer currently has three early-stage drugs in the clinic aiming to block or reverse fat accumulation in the liver. "We believe that even though we're a bit behind, we still might come out with the best-in-class molecules," Birnbaum said.
    
Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMY.N) also confirmed it is looking for additional assets to enhance its internally-developed NASH drugs. It presented promising data for its lead NASH candidate at the big European liver meeting in Amsterdam that ended on Sunday.
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