S5 - E6.2 - How Approval Of Rezdiffra,The First MASH Drug, Might Improve Patient Adherence To Lifestyle Recommendations

This conversation focuses on what panelists see as a key (and somewhat unusual) benefit of Rezdiffra: that having a prescription drug for MASH creates a better environment for discussing lifestyle intervention and improving overall patient adherence with diet and exercise.
 
 This conversation focuses on the impact of having a drug on getting patients to comply with lifestyle interventions. Zobair Younossi starts by noting that, historically, it has been "very difficult" to institute successful lifestyle interventions because patients "are not used to thinking about lifestyle as a prescription." Now, providers can counsel patients to adhere to a regimen that includes medication and lifestyle changes.
 
Jörn Schattenberg notes that Rezdiffra is indicated in the label as an adjunct to diet and exercise, which is common wording for most metabolic drugs. Zobair agrees but notes that this is still difficult to achieve in practice. One example: in the US, not everyone can comply with the idealized Mediterranean diet. As he notes, diet recommendations must be geographically and culturally relevant.

I note that in my 25 years of marketing research, one thing I learned was that physicians feel they "have nothing" when all they can offer patients is lifestyle modification. With a drug in the discussion, the provider can "flip the script" to make lifestyle intervention adjunctive to the drug.  Jeff McIntyre points out specifically that having Rezdiffra to prescribe will help reduce stigma by "medicalizing" the recommendation to lose weight and add exercise. In effect, Jeff says, this takes the onus off the patient to feel responsible for their own disease. Zobair discusses a recent publication from the Global MASH Council on the impact of stigma.  

At this point, Laurent Castera joins the conversation.  He adds the thought that having a drug to prescribe will increase interest among primary care providers. He also notes the importance of the label coming without a biopsy requirement, "a very important message to convey."  The conversation ends with Ian Rowe sharing his concern that it will be "quite difficult" to differentiate patients living with advanced fibrosis patients from those living with cirrhosis.