New drug brings hope for patients suffering from common liver disease.

 

A clinical trial in the US has received an experimental drug that aimed at treating a common liver disease with promising results.

As per a report of leading business daily, The Economic Times, people with non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) who took obeticholic acid (OCA) had felt improved liver health during that duration, which also include fat in the liver, decreased body weight and inflammation in comparison with those who receive a placebo. This was ostensibly showed in the findings of the Farnesoid X Receptor Ligand Obeticholic Acid or FLINT in NASH treatment trial.

The report also stated that Brent Neuschwander-Tetri, professor at the St. Louis University in the US noted, "The FLINT trial represents an important advance in the search for treatments for NASH. The causes of NASH are not fully understood, and causes and treatments may be different among patients.”

The major feature of NASH is fat along with inflammation and damage in the liver. As the time passes, these health issues may lead to loss of liver function, the need for liver transplant and death, in some extreme cases.

The ET report also mentioned that Averell Sherker from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases has said,"Although obeticholic acid did not eliminate liver disease in FLINT participants, it demonstrated a promising effect. Larger studies will be required to determine the drug's safety and efficacy.”

About 283 people were enrolled at 80 centres across the country for the study of NASH. The findings were published online in The Lancet.