NASH Drug Development Questions? US FDA Has Many Of The Answers

From biomarkers to treatment effect size, agency officials respond to some of more than a hundred questions that poured in during a webinar on development of drugs to treat the liver disease.

Liver
FDA officials address questions about development of drugs for NASH liver disease • Source: Shutterstock

The US Food and Drug Administration was deluged with questions during a webinar on the development of new drugs to treat non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), showing how hot the area is in pharma R&D and the issues of concern to sponsors, from the use of biomarkers to the length of trials.

In opening the 29 January webinar, Toru Matsubayashi, a medical reviewer in the Division of Hepatology and Nutrition, noted some...

Read the full article – start your free trial today!

Join thousands of industry professionals who rely on Pink Sheet for daily insights

  • Start your 7-day free trial
  • Explore trusted news, analysis, and insights
  • Access comprehensive global coverage
  • Enjoy instant access – no credit card required

More from US FDA

BIO Notebook: Policy Problems, ACIP’s Future, BI Is Popular, Makary On FDA-Industry Ties

 

Highlights from Day Two of the BIO International Convention include BIO officials raising concerns about Trump Administration policies, the future of ACIP, an interview with BI's head of global business development, and FDA Commissioner Martin Makary's view of the FDA-industry relationship.

Post-Approval, Real-Time Monitoring Will Help Approval Standards, US FDA’s Makary Says

 
• By 

The FDA will use electronic health records to “get eyes” on drugs immediately after approval, Commissioner Martin Makary told the DIA 2025 Global Annual Meeting. He also wants to reduce development time with better communication and new approval pathways.

US FDA Teases Disclosure Program, But Industry Has Seen This Before

 

Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research Director Vinay Prasad said Commissioner Martin Makary wants to release previously inaccessible FDA documents, but previous commissioners have made the same pronouncements only to make little progress.

US FDA Could Miss User Fee Spending Triggers With House FY 2026 Funding

 

FDA employees are concerned that while the budget authority total proposed for fiscal year 2026 meets the user fee appropriations' triggers, the FDA could have trouble meeting allocation triggers without cuts to non-review work.

More from Agency Leadership

US FDA May Consolidate Support Services After Extensive Cuts

 

Commissioner Martin Makary told staff that plans are being developed to centralize HR, IT, travel and other functions, which were heavily impacted by the 1 April reduction-in-force.

US FDA’s Rising First-Cycle Complete Response Rate Draws Congress’ Attention

 
• By 

The House Appropriations Committee wants an analysis of how issues that led to CRLs could have been resolved within the first review cycle and seeks an agency crackdown on counterfeit GLP-1 agonists.

ACIP Upheaval Leaves Merck & Co. In A Lurch

 

Merck’s newly approved Enflonsia for RSV is one of the products expected to be recommended for use by the CDC Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices later this month.