DiabetesDaily knowledgeable me of a brand new drug out there for therapy of a liver illness that impacts “as much as 20% of individuals with diabetes. The illness is MASH: metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis, one thing else I’d by no means heard of. (Shouldn’t the acronym be MDASH?) The drug is resmetirom, bought within the U.S. as Rezdiffra. Click on for the FDA announcement. MASH can result in liver scarring (fibrosis), which then qualifies the affected person for resmetirom. The DiabetesDaily article is well-written and consists of alternate options to this new drug.

I’ve lengthy been conscious of NASH: non-alcoholic steatohepatitis). THIS is the liver illness goal in response to the FDA announcement, which states “Rezdiffra is a partial activator of a thyroid hormone receptor; activation of this receptor by Rezdiffra within the liver reduces liver fats accumulation.” Moreover:

The most typical negative effects of Rezdiffra included diarrhea and nausea. Rezdiffra comes with sure warnings and precautions, corresponding to drug-induced liver toxicity and gallbladder-related negative effects. 

There could also be potential vital interplay of this new drug with others, notably statin cholesterol-lowering medicine.

Shade me skeptical. If solely as a result of the drug was on the “accelerated approval pathway.” However I’ll maintain and open thoughts.

I’m unsure, however it seems that candidates for the drug will want a liver biopsy exhibiting fibrosis (scarring).

Steve Parker, M.D.