Therapies to tackle non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) liver disease could be the latest treatments to face pricing problems, with estimates of 69,350 for new drugs that have limited effects on the up to 30 million sufferers in the US. Patients with the worst liver scarring could be given financial help, however, because research shows a small proportion of NASH sufferers develop advanced fibrosis. Payers may also require an invasive and expensive biopsy to define the liver problems and may refuse to pay for all but the most serious sufferers if lifestyle changes can alleviate the problem.
Therapies to tackle non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) liver disease could be the latest treatments to face pricing problems, with estimates of at least $10,000 for new drugs that have limited effects on the up to 30 million sufferers in the US. Patients with the worst liver scarring could be given financial help, however, because research shows a small proportion of NASH sufferers develop advanced fibrosis. Payers may also require an invasive and expensive biopsy to define the liver problems and may refuse to pay for all but the most serious sufferers if lifestyle changes can alleviate the problem.