Madrigal today released their first report of results following FDA approval of Rezdiffra for the treatment of NASH, in conjunction with diet and exercise, in March. Their results are on track according to company forecasts but there is much left to do. Here are some key points.
Key takeways: No biopsy for most patients, commercial insurers are coming onboard, and some prescribers are proactive.
Challenges: Only a small percentage of liver docs have written prescriptions and most qualified patients are not yet being offered the drug.
OK, so what do we think about this as patients. While I am happy for the 2,000 people who are .now taking the drug, I am dismayed at how many docs are not engaged.
Why do we care a lot about this? Remember, this is the first and only treatment for NASH. Remember that the drug has been shown to reduce fibrosis or stop progression in over 90% of patients. That is a really big deal. There are around 500,000 patients who have been diagnosed with NASH and about 300,000 are under the care of specialists. I can't help but wonder how a doctor who conceptually is concerned about their patients is not engaged in getting appropriate patients into treatment.
If you are a patient, you should find out if Rezdiffra is appropriate for you. Ask your doctor about it and be persistent. Job one with this disease is to stop it from progressing to cirrhosis and delay isn't in your best interest. It is important to be aware of who should get it. The drug is approved for F2/F3 patients. Many of us are F4 and not eligible so keep that in mind in discussions with your physician.
The State of Steatotic (Fatty) Liver Care in America is an annual survey of liver patients seeking to understand what their experience with doctors treating the disease has been. We need your input to help us advise doctors where we, the patients, feel the care given needs to improve. Please click the link below to go to the survey. It is completely anonymous.
What you should expect, it will take about 20 minutes and there are 50 questions. LABORIOUS, I know. I hate surveys myself but this is to help us, the patient community, not some company, so please give it your attention.
CLICK THIS LINK TO GO TO THE SURVEY
If you would like to read the 2023 report the link below will take you to that one.
