Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) includes nonalcoholic fatty liver (NAFL), nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), and NASH-related liver cirrhosis; wherein, NASH refers to the hepatocyte inflammation that occurs on the basis of hepatocyte steatosis and is a severe type in NAFLD. NAFL, if left untreated, may develop to NASH and the latter may progress to liver cirrhosis. NAFLD is the most common cause of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in the U.S. According to a study in the U.S., the NAFLD-related HCC accounts for 59% of all the HCC types.
NAFLD Progression
单纯性脂肪肝 | NAFL |
大多数 | Most patients |
稳定不发展 | Stable and not progressing |
5-10年17% | 17% of patients in 5-10 years |
10-15年20% | 20% of patients in 10-15 years |
肝硬化 | Liver cirrhosis |
肝病相关死亡 | Liver disease-related death |
5-7年40%-60% | 40-60% of patients in 5-7 years |
7年10% | 10% of patients in 7 years |
亚急性肝衰竭 | Subacute liver failure |
HCC（肝癌） | HCC (liver cancer) |
肝移植 | Liver transplantation |
NAFLD is the most common chronic liver disease in the world, with a worldwide incidence of 25% and an incidence of 20% in China. There are about 200-300 million NAFLD patients in China, with the number of NASH patients estimated to be more than 30 million. Obesity, type 2 diabetes, and hyperlipidemia and hypertension are the three major risk factors of NAFLD. The incidence of NAFLD in obese people is as high as 70% and the prevalence thereof has a rising trend as the number of people with obesity and hypertension, hyperglycemia and hyperlipidemia is growing.
NAFLD Prevalence
全球 | World |
亚洲 | Asia |
中国 | China |
肥胖人群 | Obese people |
II型糖尿病 | Patients with type 2 diabetes |
高血压、高血脂 | Patients with hyperlipidemia and hypertension |
As a metabolic syndrome, NASH often comes together with obesity and hypertension, hyperglycemia and hyperlipidemia, therefore, NASH treatment includes 4 aspects: basic treatment (changing the lifestyle), treatment against metabolic syndrome, treatment against liver injury, and liver transplantation. As the NASH patient group is huge and there is no marketed drug with definite efficacy in the world, the first breakthrough drug may become a blockbuster. Numerous pharmaceutical enterprises are working hard on the related drugs.
According to the forecast of EvaluatePharma, the global NASH drug market will reach USD40 billion by 2025. Such a huge market is in urgent need of blockbusters.
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