The increased response to International NASH Day (8 June) in 2023 demonstrates growing interest from both industry and public bodies in raising the awareness of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). This reflects the rising prevalence of the disease, as well as recent clinical trial developments, says GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.

Jay Patel, Pharma Analyst at GlobalData, comments: “The International NASH Day is a disease awareness day organized by the Global Liver Institute, a nonprofit patient advocacy organization, which has led efforts to increase patient access to NASH diagnostics and treatment. This year, key companies in the NASH space timed key awareness initiatives to align with the International NASH Day. Drug manufacturer Inventiva plans to launch a joint NASH awareness campaign with diagnostics company Echosens, while industry leader Madrigal is launching a new digital educational campaign for patients at risk of NASH. Madrigal’s drug candidate, resmetirom, is forecasted by GlobalData to make $2.3 billion in sales by 2029. This shows that companies are making serious investments in raising the awareness of the disease as they get closer to commercialization.”

In addition, the UK Parliament has announced a scheduled debate on preventing obesity and fatty liver disease on International NASH Day, focusing predominantly on non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), a relatively common condition which can develop into NASH. GlobalData estimates there were over 15 million total prevalent cases of NAFLD in 2022 in the UK and over 87 million in the US, driven by increasing obesity rates.

Patel concludes: “The emphasis on raising awareness of NASH and NAFLD is not only reserved to industry but also extends to public bodies such as the UK Parliament. Although NASH is not yet as common as NAFLD, according to GlobalData, the total number of prevalent cases across seven major markets (7MM)* is set to hit over 72 million by 2029.

“In a recent briefing document provided to the US FDA’s Gastrointestinal Drugs Advisory Committee (GIDAC), the FDA stated that between six to eight million Americans would be eligible for treatment with Intercept’s obeticholic acid, should it be approved. Given that NASH can progress to liver failure or cancer, the rising prevalence and the general lack of awareness are major issues for public health, particularly in developed countries with rising obesity rates.”

*7MM: the US, the UK, Japan, Germany, Spain, France and Italy.