Emerging Therapies for Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease

Abstract

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease is the most common cause of liver disease in the United States. There are no drug therapies approved for the treatment of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). Multiple different pathways are involved in the pathogenesis and each can be the target of the therapy. It is possible that more than 1 target is involved in disease development and progression. Multiple clinical trials with promising agents are underway. Because NASH is a slowly progressive disease and treatment likely to be of prolonged duration, acceptance and approval of any agent will require information on long-term clinical benefits and safety.

Keywords: Antifibrotic agents; FXR agonists; Insulin sensitizers; Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease; PPAR agonists.