Research Article Details
Article ID: | A17814 |
PMID: | 27564402 |
Source: | Expert Opin Pharmacother |
Title: | Emerging and future therapies for nonalcoholic steatohepatitis in adults. |
Abstract: | INTRODUCTION: Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is a disease of increasing prevalence with morbidity and mortality closely related to cardiovascular disease, malignancies and cirrhosis. Despite the need for pharmacological treatment and intense research in the field, there is currently no approved agent for NASH. AREAS COVERED: There are medications shown to improve hepatic steatosis, including thiazolidinediones, vitamin E and pentoxifylline. However, hepatic fibrosis, the hard prognostic end-point for NASH, has shown little improvement with pharmaceutical intervention. Long-term use of thiazolidinediones has provided a marginal effect on fibrosis, whereas obeticholic acid, a farnesoid X receptor, showed to improve fibrosis, but further data are needed. There are currently many novel agents under investigation, including glucagon-like peptide-1 analogs, sodium glucose co-transporters and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ selective modulators, whose preliminary results have been promising. EXPERT OPINION: Given the multifactorial pathogenesis of NASH, it is rational to consider multiple treatments rather than monotherapy as a more promising approach. Although, it remains to be shown, targeting more than one pathogenetic 'hit' of the disease may provide more efficacious management. Furthermore, the establishment of a noninvasive index for long-term follow-up of NASH patients will facilitate treatment guidance by reducing the need for multiple liver biopsies. |
DOI: | 10.1080/14656566.2016.1225727 |

Strategy ID | Therapy Strategy | Synonyms | Therapy Targets | Therapy Drugs | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
S01 | Improve insulin resistance | insulin sensitizer; insulin resistance; glucose tolerance | Biguanide: increases 5-AMP activated protein kinase signaling; SGLT-2 inhibitor; Thiazalidinedione: selective PPAR-γ agonists; GLP-1 agonist | Metformin; Empagliflozin; Canagliflozin; Rosiglitazone; Pioglitazone; Liraglutide | Details |
S03 | Anti-fibrosis | fibrosis | Angiotensin Receptor Blocker (ARB); CCR2/CCR5 antagonist; Thyroid receptor β agonist; PEGylated human FGF21 analogue; Monoclonal antibody to lysyl oxidase-like 2 (LOXL2); Galectin-3 inhibitor; FGF19 variant | Losartan; Cenicriviroc; VK-2809; MGL-3196; Pegbelfermin; Simtuzumab; GR-MD-02; NGM282 | Details |
Target ID | Target Name | GENE | Action | Class | UniProtKB ID | Entry Name |
---|
Diseases ID | DO ID | Disease Name | Definition | Class | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
I05 | 9352 | Type 2 diabetes mellitus | A diabetes that is characterized by chronic hyperglycaemia with disturbances of carbohydrate, fat and protein metabolism resulting from defects in insulin secretion, insulin action, or both. A diabetes mellitus that is characterized by high blood sugar, insulin resistance, and relative lack of insulin. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diabetes, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diabetes_mellitus_type_2 | disease of metabolism/inherited metabolic disorder/ carbohydrate metabolic disorder/glucose metabolism disease/diabetes/ diabetes mellitus | Details |
Drug ID | Drug Name | Type | DrugBank ID | Targets | Category | Latest Progress | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
D579 | Emfilermin | Miscellany | -- | adipocytes | Enhance lipid metabolism | Under investigation | Details |
D388 | Vitamin E | Supplement | DB00163 | NR1I2; ALOX5; DGKA | Anti-inflammatory | Under clinical trials | Details |
D266 | Pentoxifylline | Chemical drug | DB00806 | ADORA2A antagonist; ADORA1 antagonist; PDE4A inhibitor; PDE3B inhibitor; PDE4B inhibitor; PDE5A inhibitor; PDE8A inhibitor; PDE4C inhibitor; PDE11A inhibitor; PDE7A inhibitor; PDE7B inhibitor; PDE4D inhibitor; PDE3A inhibitor | Anti-inflammatory; Cardiovascular drug | Under clinical trials | Details |
D366 | Thiazolidinediones | Chemical drug | DB11898 | -- | -- | Under clinical trials | Details |
D182 | Insulin | Biological drug | DB00030 | INSR agonist; CPE modulator&product of | -- | Under clinical trials | Details |
D248 | Obeticholic Acid | Chemical drug | DB05990 | NR1H4 activator; NR1H4 agonist; FXR agonist | Enhance lipid metabolism | Approval rejected | Details |
D155 | Glucagon | Biological drug | DB00040 | GCGR agonist | Antidiabetic drug | Under clinical trials | Details |