CLEVELAND — Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis, or "MASH," is caused when fat builds up in and around the liver. It's often associated with high blood pressure, Type 2 diabetes, and obesity, and it's estimated up to 10 million or more Americans have it.
One in three (or around 100 million) Americans have fatty liver disease, and many may not know it in advance because symptoms from inflammation and scarring don't appear until later stages. Fatty liver disease inflammation and scarring (fibrosis) is the beginning phase of liver failure, and until now, there was no medication to treat it.
Enter Rezdiffra, from Madrigal Pharmaceuticals, a new medication that uses the thyroid hormone to redirect fat.
"It primarily works to burn energy that would otherwise be stored in your liver in the form of fat," Dr. Pierre Gholam, hepatologist at University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, says.
It's important to note that this is not a weight loss drug.
"Is it a drug that's going to make you lose weight in general? No," Gholam explained. "Is it a drug that's going to make you lose muscle mass, which some weight loss drugs do? No, that's not how this drug works."
The drug is only approved for those in stages two and three of liver scarring, and it's given in conjunction with diet and exercise as part of the prescription.
How do you know if you have fatty liver disease or if it advanced? Ask your doctor for a blood test.
"The good news is your doctor probably knows about this," Gholam said. "Your doctor has easy tools at their disposal without sending you to a specialist to know whether you are at risk for this."
At this time, it's not known how long patients can take the drug, and research will continue as it becomes available. It's also not known how much it will cost and how insurance will cover it, but it will likely be available in the next couple of months, and patients will likely need to see a specialist for a prescription.