Metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) is rapidly becoming among most common liver diseases worldwide, with the prevalence of MAFLD in western countries reaching about 20-30% of the general population. Left untreated, approximately 20-25% of MAFLD patients will progress to MASH, marked by steatohepatitis, ballooning and inflammation. Typically, MASH is accompanied with liver fibrosis and can further progress to liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).
MASH is currently ranked the second most common reason for liver transplants in the United States and is expected to become the leading cause for liver transplant by 2020. Hepagene is targeting several different pathways contributing to MASH with the aim to address this significant unmet medical need through combination therapy.