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 and joined the MJH Life Sciences team in April 2021. He graduated from The College of New Jersey with a degree in Journalism and Professional Writing. He enjoys listening to records, going to concerts, and playing with his cat Squish. You can reach him at 

Elevated prediagnostic serum total bile acid (TBA) levels were linked to an increased risk of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) development among patients with multi-etiology 

, according to the results of a new analysis.

Further analysis revealed while higher TBA levels were associated with overall HCC risk, the extent of risk was not consistent among all individuals with cirrhosis, as those with established HCC risk factors, including hepatitis C virus (HCV), obesity, or diabetes, experienced a notably high risk.

“Our findings are suggestive of an etiological link between TBA and HCC and possible utility as a predictive biomarker for better risk stratification,” wrote the investigative team, led by Hashem B. El-Serag, MD, MPH, department of medicine, Baylor College of Medicine. “It is possible that elevated TBA is part of the metabolic abnormalities that underlie the severity of these etiological risk factors.”

Results of experimental studies have linked bile acids to the development and progression of HCC. Multiple studies with human subjects found elevated serum or plasma levels of total or specific bile acid levels among patients with HCC, or those at risk to develop HCC, compared with healthy controls.

However, few longitudinal studies explored the role of serum TBA as a risk factor for HCC in individuals with contemporary cirrhosis related to metabolic dysfunction–associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) or cured HCV infection. In this analysis, El-Serag and colleagues assessed the connection between baseline serum TBA levels and the risk of new HCC among a multi-ethnic, multi-etiology prospective cohort of patients with compensated cirrhosis.

The study cohort was prospectively recruited at 7 liver clinics in the Texas HCC Consortium (THCC) cohort, with 940 unique patients with BA samples consecutively recruited between December 2016 and February 2020. The primary outcome was incident HCC, defined as tumors occurring ≥1 month after the index visit to minimize the risk of prevalent HCC.

Although some individuals matched multiple etiological categories, El-Serag and colleagues categorized them into mutually exclusive cohorts, including active/cured HCV, alcohol-associated liver disease, autoimmune disorders, MASLD, and others. Competing risk proportional hazard–adjusted models estimated the link between serum TBA level tertiles and the risk of HCC development, stratified by HCV, obesity, and diabetes status.

Upon analysis, across 3406 person-years of follow-up, 68 of the 940 patients in the study progressed to HCC. The underlying etiology for cirrhosis included MASLD (30%), active HCV (14%), curved HCV (29%), alcohol-associated liver disease (15%), or HBV (1%).

Among the overall patient population, the median TBA serum level was 14.58 µmol/L, with most (91.2%) having a TBA value <100 µmol/L. Analyses showed baseline serum TBA levels were associated with an increase in HCC risk—compared with the lowest TBA tertile, the highest tertile was linked to a nearly 4-fold significantly increased risk for HCC (adjusted hazard ratio [HR], 3.69; 95% CI, 1.85–7.37).

An analysis of TBA levels for HCC risk prediction revealed TBA modeled as tertiles had a notable additive effect on the total discrimination of the predictive model for 1- and 2-year HCC risk. Adding TBA to the baseline risk model raised the c-index for predicting 2-year HCC risk from 0.74 to 0.80 (

Overall, El-Serag and colleagues identified a significant interaction between TBA level and HCV (

 = .04). After stratifying by HCV status, the highest TBA tertile was associated with a nearly 6-fold higher risk for HCC versus the lowest tertile (adjusted HR, 5.92; 95% CI, 2.27–15.44).

Based on these findings, the investigative team suggested the contribution of TBA levels could provide an independent predictive effect on the dimensions of HCC pathophysiology not represented by other liver disease measures.

“This effect may have clinical implications, especially if our results are confirmed in other cohorts,” they wrote. “We expect that progress in HCC risk stratification will occur from adding biomarkers reflecting different biological domains (eg, genomics and radiomics) in progression to HCC.”

El-Serag, Hashem B.1,2,3; Thrift, Aaron P.4,5; Duong, Hao3; Ning, Jing6; Khaderi, Saira1; Singal, Amit G.7; Asrani, Sumeet K.8; Marrero, Jorge A.9; Powell, Hannah10; Rizwan, Kinza10; Najjar, Omar10; Amos, Christopher I.4; Luster, Michelle1; Al-Sarraj, Abeer1,2,3; Salem, Emad1,2; Scheurer, Michael E.5,11; Chhatwal, Jagpreet12; Kaochar, Salma4,5; Kanwal, Fasiha1,2,3. Serum levels of total bile acids are associated with an increased risk of HCC in patients with cirrhosis. Hepatology Communications 8(11):e0545, November 2024. | DOI: 10.1097/HC9.0000000000000545

Articles

Elevated prediagnostic serum total bile acid (TBA) levels are linked to an increased risk of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in patients with multi-etiology cirrhosis. The risk is particularly high in individuals with established HCC risk factors such as hepatitis C virus (HCV), obesity, or diabetes. The study suggests TBA could serve as a predictive biomarker for HCC risk stratification. The analysis, conducted on a multi-ethnic cohort, found that higher TBA levels significantly increased HCC risk, with implications for improving HCC risk prediction models.

Increased serum TBA levels at baseline significantly raised the risk of HCC development in patients with multi-etiology cirrhosis.

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Hepatology

Serum Total Bile Acid Levels Linked to Elevated HCC Risk in Cirrhosis

Tim Smith joined the MJH Life Sciences team as an assistant editor for HCPLive in August 2022. He graduated from UC Berkeley with a degree in political science, working in multimedia journalism as a staff writer prior to joining MJH. In his spare time, he enjoys reading, watching TV, listening to podcasts, and rock climbing. You can contact him at 

metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD)

 is cost-effective, new findings suggest, and consideration of these screening strategies use within primary care is recommended.

These data resulted from new research conducted given the rising global prevalence of MASLD and the clinical and economic burdens associated with the condition also remain an issue. This research was led by Zobair M. Younossi, MD, MPH, of the Beatty Liver and Obesity Research Program of Inova Health System in Falls Church, Virginia.

Although there have been advances in new non-invasive test (NIT) algorithm development and an approval of resmetirom in the US, the investigators noted that very little research has evaluated the cost-effectiveness of screening strategies among those who have MASLD.

“Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of various strategies to identify high-risk MASLD patients that is initiated in the primary care setting, as recommended by the recent guidelines,” Younossi and colleagues wrote. “By employing a cost-utility model, we assess the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) of these strategies, offering important insights into the most efficient methods for managing this increasing disease.”

The investigators created a cost-utility model for the purposes of evaluating the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) of 6 different strategies for screening patients suspected of having MASLD within primary care settings. Their model integrates a decision tree as well as a Markov model in the analysis.

Those in the high-risk groups, such as patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) or obesity and medical complications, were placed into the research team’s decision tree using each screening approach. Through the decision tree, the team evaluated subjects using a sequence of non-invasive tests (NIT).

They began with the Fibrosis-4 (FIB-4) test, followed later by either vibration-controlled transient elastography (VCTE) or an enhanced liver fibrosis (ELF) test. These tests involved the categorization of patients as true positives, true negatives, false positives, or false negatives. Diagnostic accuracy data was drawn by the investigators from meta-analyses and ELF data from the Atellica IM.

The investigators’ model determined the average costs linked to screening, staging, and resmetirom treatment for each screening strategy, and this was based on the aforementioned classifications. Following their decision tree analysis, the research team used a series of Markov models to predict disease progression over the course of a 20-year timeframe.

The team’s models were designed to determine long-term staging and retesting expenses, medical costs, and costs of treatment. They also factored in utilities as well as the distribution of health states over time.

Overall, the screening strategies for high-risk MASLD within the US resulted in additional costs compared to zero screenings. These costs were reported to range between $13,587 - $14,730 per subject with T2D. They ranged from $14,274 - $15,661 per subject with obesity.

Notably however, the investigators determined that a screening diminished one’s long-term costs to between $22,150 - $22,279 for those with T2D, and between $13,704 - $13,705 for those with obesity. This was compared to $24,221 and $14,956, respectively, for those without screenings.

The ICERs for subjects with T2D were shown to range from $26,913 - $27,884 per quality-adjusted life year (QALY). However, for those with obesity, ICERs ranged from $23,265 - $24,992 per QALY. Despite the fact that ICERs were impacted by VCTE availability, they continued to be cost-effective when ELF was implemented as a second-line testing method.

The research team concluded that their findings had been robust across several different key parameters.

“These data have important implications for all stakeholders in the United States including patients, providers, policymakers, and the bio-pharmaceutical industry,” they wrote. “We recommend that all individuals who are at risk for high-risk MASLD seen at primary care setting be risk stratified with NITs according to published guideline.”

Younossi Z, Paik J, Henry L, Stepanova M, and Nader F (2024). Pharmaco-Economic Assessment of Screening Strategies for High-Risk MASLD in Primary Care. Liver Int. https://doi.org/10.1111/liv.16119.

E. B. Tapper, M. M. Hunink, N. H. Afdhal, M. Lai, and N. Sengupta, “Cost-Effectiveness Analysis: Risk Stratification of Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) by the Primary Care Physician Using the NAFLD Fibrosis Score,” PLoS One 11, no. 2 (2016): e0147237.

Screening for high-risk metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) is cost-effective, particularly in primary care settings. The study, led by Dr. Zobair M. Younossi, utilized a cost-utility model to evaluate the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) of six screening strategies. The research focused on high-risk groups, such as patients with type 2 diabetes or obesity, using non-invasive tests like Fibrosis-4 and enhanced liver fibrosis tests. Findings suggest that screening reduces long-term costs and remains cost-effective, even when considering the availability of different testing methods.

These data on metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease provide information on the economic burden among high-risk patients.

MASH / MASLD

The HCPLive MASH & MASLD page is a comprehensive resource for clinical news and insights on metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease and steatohepatitis. This page consists of interviews, articles, podcasts, and videos on the research, treatment and development of therapies for fatty liver disease, steatohepatitis, and more.

Screening for MASLD is Cost-Effective for Patients, Study Suggests

Chelsie Derman is an assistant editor for 

who covers psychiatry, sleep medicine, and geriatrics. She joined MJH Life Sciences in September 2023 after graduating from The College of New Jersey with a bachelor’s degree in journalism and professional writing. In her free time, she enjoys creative writing and reading.

Credit: USC Transplant Lab, Research Team

A recent study led by Children’s Hospital Los Angeles showed that policy changes to prioritize organ transplants for sick children over adults have helped improve the survival of 

Over the years, the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network had periodically tweaked its organ allocation policies to prioritize sicker children over adults. Liver transplantation is the only cure for the life-threatening PALF, but some children do not receive a transplant in time due to the lack of suitable organs. This network also worked on expanding the geographic area of donors to make them more readily available.

Investigators, led by Sarah Bangerth, MS, from the division of Abdominal Organ Transplantation and Hepatobiliary Surgery at Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, sought to investigate how Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network’s changes in patient prioritization and organ allocation impacted waitlist mortality and survival after liver transplant among children. The primary endpoints were waitlist mortality and survival post-liver transplantation.

“We realized that nobody had actually studied this,” said Juliet Emamaullee, MD, PhD, FRCSC, FACS, research Director, at the division of Abdominal Organ Transplantation, in a press release.

Using the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients, the retrospective cohort study included 1495 patients (< 18) with PALF.

 Participants had a mean age of 5 (IQR, 1 – 11) years. Children were placed on the liver transplant waitlist between January 1989 and December 2020 based on Status 1/1A listing data and inclusion criteria.

The study included 3 eras: era 1 (January 1989 – June 15, 2000), era 2 (June 16, 2000 – February 1, 2012), era 3 (February 2, 2012 – December 2020). The transplant rate increased from era 1 (71.8%) to era 3 (86.6%). Moreover, the number of children on liver transplant waitlist or who died decreased from 1989 to 2020. Participants in the years 2012 – 2020 had the lowest cumulative incidence of waitlist mortality (

Liver transplant recipients from 2012 – 2020 were more likely to receive a whole liver (72%; 

 < .001), with shorter median cold ischemic time (6.5 hours; IQR, 5.3 – 8.2; 

 < .001). Children are receiving transplants quicker in recent years despite an increase in distance between the donor and recipient hospitals from 1989 – 2000 (median distance in kilometers, 182.9; IQ, 16.5 – 643.0) to 2012 – 2000 (515.7 km; IQR, 108.6 – 1297.8; 

Donors in 2012 – 2020 were younger (median age: 14 years), shorter (median height: 152 cm), skinnier (median weight: 50 kg), and were more likely to be deceased (95%). Long-term patient and graft survival rates following liver transplantation were the greatest during 2012 – 2020, with statistically significant differences (

 = .01 for graft survival at 5 years, respectively.

Multivariate analysis revealed that back in 1989 – 2000, being < 2 years old (compared with ≥ 10 years) (subdistribution hazard ratio [sHR], 8.88; 95% CI, 2.11 – 36.49; 

 = .003), Hispanic (sHR, 0.08; 95% CI, 0.02 – 0.39; 

 = .002) and a receipt of deceased donor split grafts (compared with whole liver) (sHR, 0.17; 95% CI, 0.05-0.58; 

 = .005) were linked to a mortality risk following the liver transplant. However, this was all resolved by 2012 – 2000 (

Additionally, being younger than < 2 years old (sHR, 11.26; 95% CI, 2.01-63.24; 

 = .006) was linked to the risk of graft failure in 1989 – 2000 and 2000 – 2012 (sHR, 4.89; 95% CI, 1.56 – 15.30; 

 = .006), but this was no longer the case in 2012 – 2020 (

“Most of the kids that we transplant are under five and so finding size-matched organs is really difficult,” Emamaullee said.

 “The reason our center has been so successful is that we have been expansive in our willingness to split adult livers into a segmental graft—called a technical variant graft—to get those small kids transplanted with adult organs.”

Emamaullee recognized the challenge of using adult livers for children due to the size variation. Allocation policy changes allowed transplant centers to be more likely to get younger, smaller donors from a wider geographic area, making it possible for children to be better matched with an organ their size. However, split-liver grafts have improved over the years.

“Our study showed that these policy changes were associated with substantially decreased deaths on the pediatric waitlist, increased rates of liver transplant, and improved post-transplant outcomes,” Emamaullee said.

Bangerth S, Vijayendra S, Ascher-Bartlett J, Etasami K, Kohli R, Emamaullee J. Strategic Changes in Organ Allocation Policy and Outcomes in Pediatric Acute Liver Failure. 

 Published online October 02, 2024. doi:10.1001/jamasurg.2024.4085

Study shows changes to organ allocation policy reduced waiting time and increased transplants for children with pediatric acute liver failure. EurekAlert! October 2, 2024. https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1060061.Accessed October 15, 2024.

Policy changes prioritizing pediatric organ transplants have significantly improved survival rates for children with acute liver failure. The Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network's adjustments in organ allocation have led to increased transplant rates and reduced waitlist mortality. A study analyzing data from 1989 to 2020 showed that children are receiving transplants more quickly, with better post-transplant outcomes. The use of whole livers and technical variant grafts has increased, and the geographic expansion of donor areas has facilitated better organ matching. These changes have notably decreased pediatric waitlist deaths.

The study found that, following gradual policy changes, children with acute liver failure requiring a transplant now face a reduced risk of both mortality and graft failure from 1989.


Pediatrics

Pediatrics page, resources on the topics of medical news and expert insight into childhood health care can be found. Content includes articles, interviews, videos, podcasts, and breaking news on pediatric disease research, treatment, and drug development.

Policy Changes Boost Survival in Pediatric Liver Transplants

Abigail Brooks is an assistant editor for 

She joined MJH Life Sciences in August 2023 shortly after graduating from Monmouth University where she earned her BA in Communication with a concentration in Public Relations/Journalism and later an MA in Interactive Digital Media. She enjoys traveling, running, and reading books. She can be reached at abrooks@mjhlifesciences.com.

Credit: Aristotle University of Thessaloniki

New research is providing clinicians with an overview of the utility of the FibroScan-aspartate aminotransferase (AST) score for ruling in and ruling out fibrotic 

metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH)

Findings from the systematic review and meta-analysis of 16 studies comprising more than 8000 participants suggest the FAST score performs better for ruling out fibrotic MASH compared with ruling in the target condition, although a sequential testing approach implemented after a FAST ≥ 0.67 may be a viable strategy to ruling in fibrotic MASH.

On March 14, 2024, the US Food and Drug Administration granted accelerated approval to resmetirom (Rezdiffra) for the treatment of noncirrhotic MASH with moderate to advanced fibrosis, making it the first FDA-approved MASH therapeutic.

 With various other agents in the MASH pipeline, clinical development efforts have been limited by barriers to trial enrollment.

“Due to stringent histological criteria for patient inclusion, MASH clinical trials have screening failure rates exceeding 70%,” Konstantinos Malandris, MD, of the clinical research and evidence-based medicine unit at Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in Greece, and colleagues wrote.

 “To address this issue and to mitigate unnecessary liver biopsies, Newsome et al. developed a noninvasive index, the FAST score, providing cutoff values for ruling-in and ruling-out fibrotic MASH.”

Derived from a combination of controlled attenuation parameter, liver stiffness measurements (LSM) by vibration-controlled transient elastography, and AST levels, the FAST score was developed to facilitate the noninvasive identification of patients at risk of progressive MASH for clinical trials or treatments, reducing unnecessary liver biopsy in patients unlikely to have significant disease.

To assess the diagnostic accuracy of the FAST score for fibrotic MASH based on available evidence, investigators searched Medline, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, and Scopus for relevant studies from the first publication of the FAST score on February 3, 2020, up to January 11, 2024. Studies were eligible for inclusion if they assessed the accuracy of FAST score for detecting fibrotic MASH, defined as MASH with a NAFLD activity score ≥ 4 and fibrosis stage ≥ F2, using biopsy as the reference standard at previously reported thresholds (FAST ≥ 0.67 for ruling in and ≤ 0.35 for ruling out fibrotic MASH).

Initial literature searches yielded 1626 records, 1215 of which were screened at the title and abstract level and 63 of which were assessed in full text. In total, 16 studies with 8838 participants meeting eligibility criteria were included in the systematic review and meta-analysis.

Investigators noted most studies were multicenter (n = 11) following a prospective design (n = 9) with a recruitment period spanning from 2003 to 2021. Across the included studies, the mean age was 52.5 years and 45.2% of participants were male.

Of the 8838 participants, 2913 (32.9%) had fibrotic MASH with prevalence ranging from 14.1% to 55.0%. The overall prevalence of cirrhosis and significant fibrosis was 8.1% and 45%, respectively. Investigators noted 2721 (30.8%) participants had a FAST score between 0.35 and 0.67, putting them in the gray zone.

In total, 15 studies with 8342 participants assessed the accuracy of the FAST score for ruling in fibrotic MASH, with sensitivity and specificity ranging from 0.09 to 0.73 and from 0.67 to 0.98, respectively. Upon analysis, a FAST score ≥ 0.67 yielded a pooled sensitivity of 0.45 (0.39 to 0.52) and specificity of 0.87 (0.82 to 0.90), resulting in a positive likelihood ratio of 3.6.

In total, 16 studies with 8507 participants provided data for the accuracy of the FAST score for ruling out fibrotic MASH, with sensitivity and specificity ranging from 0.52 to 1.00 and from 0.14 to 0.79, respectively. A FAST score ≤ 0.35 yielded a pooled sensitivity of 0.88 (0.83 to 0.91) and specificity of 0.52 (0.45 to 0.60), corresponding to a negative likelihood ratio of 0.23.

At a prevalence of 30%, investigators pointed out the positive predictive value for ruling in fibrotic MASH was 60% while the negative predictive value for ruling out the target condition was 91%.

For ruling in fibrotic MASH, the number of pathologists reviewing biopsy specimens (

 = .03) and the prevalence of cirrhosis (

 = .03) were identified as potential sources of heterogeneity. For ruling out fibrotic MASH, greater AST levels tended to improve sensitivity estimates (

Investigators pointed out the certainty of the evidence for both outcomes was low to very low, largely attributable to concerns regarding the risk of bias and imprecision. Of note, 12 studies were at high risk or at some concern for bias due to patient selection and/or suboptimal reporting of the blinding status with respect to biopsy results during interpretation of FAST score.

Investigators recognized this bias as a limitation to the study’s findings, also mentioning the heterogeneity among included studies; the limited number of studies included in the analysis; and the potential for overlap between cohorts included in the primary studies.

“Based on low to very low certainty of evidence, FAST score seems to perform better for ruling out fibrotic MASH compared with ruling in the target condition,” investigators concluded.

 “FAST's low PPV even in high prevalence settings necessitates sequential testing for ruling in fibrotic MASH. Individual FAST components (especially LSM) should be taken into account when interpreting results even when aiming to rule out fibrotic MASH.”

Malandris K, Arampidis D, Mainou M, et al. FibroScan-AST score for diagnosing fibrotic MASH: A systematic review and meta-analysis of diagnostic test accuracy studies. 

Brooks, A. Resmetirom (Rezdiffra) Receives Historic FDA Approval for Noncirrhotic NASH. HCPLive. March 14, 2024. Accessed October 15, 2024. 

https://www.hcplive.com/view/resmetirom-rezdiffra-receives-historic-fda-approval-for-noncirrhotic-nash

Newsome PN, Sasso M, Deeks JJ, et al. FibroScan-AST (FAST) score for the non-invasive identification of patients with non-alcoholic steatohepatitis with significant activity and fibrosis: a prospective derivation and global validation study. 

The FibroScan-aspartate aminotransferase (FAST) score is a noninvasive tool for assessing fibrotic metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH). A systematic review and meta-analysis of 16 studies with over 8000 participants found the FAST score more effective at ruling out than ruling in fibrotic MASH. The FDA's recent approval of resmetirom marks a milestone in MASH treatment. However, clinical trials face challenges due to high screening failure rates. The study highlights the need for sequential testing and careful interpretation of FAST score components, given the low certainty of evidence.

Findings highlight the potential utility of the FAST score for ruling out fibrotic MASH, pointing to the need for a sequential testing approach to rule it in.

Study Suggests Value of Noninvasive FibroScan-AST Score for Ruling Out Fibrotic MASH

An announcement was made by Accure Acne, Inc., a company known for their acne treatment solutions, that they had received 

 Clearance K242035 for the long-term treatment of patients with mild-to-severe inflammatory acne vulgaris.

Acne, 1 of the most common inflammatory skin diseases, can be effectively addressed in almost all individuals with the condition. Severity of the condition as well as disease morphology and patient characteristics such as skin color, age, psychological burden, and  motivation for disease treatment are necessary considerations prior treatment selection.

The company's ‘Accure Laser System’ is a treatment which implements the unique 1726 nm laser wavelength. It features proprietary technology which is designed to precisely control thermal gradient depth for the purposes of targeting the sebaceous gland.

"This accomplishment is a testament to the relentless pursuit of this goal by Accure, Quanta System, and the team of clinicians and researchers who have spent many years together to bring the Accure Laser to the world", Emil Tanghetti, MD, founder of The Center for Dermatology and Laser Surgery and the first Accure Laser investigator, said in a statement. "Our journey in understanding the unique nature of this wavelength and the clinical requirements needed to deliver significant clinical outcomes was certainly challenging.”

Tanghetti noted that the use of temperature as an endpoint is a technical innovation which, combined with forced air cooling and real-time monitoring algorithms, provided a new option that stands alone from more traditional power-based methods.

During multiple clinical trials in the US approved by Institutional Review Boards (IRB), the laser’s "treat-to-temperature" approach was thoroughly validated. The studies indicated an average reduction of 70% in users’ counts of inflammatory lesions 6 months following 4 treatments each a month apart. The results were also noted as consistent across several different skin types and severity levels.

Early in 2024, there was a limited commercial release in the US which was completed by Accure Acne for a laser system. They demonstrated strong clinical outcomes as well as high satisfaction levels among providers and patients. Specifically, satisfaction scores averaged over 4.4 out of 5.

Following this period, the company expanded the availability of the Accure Laser System to regions such as Europe, the Caribbean, the Middle East, and the Asia Pacific. In their announcement, Accure noted that patients regardless of skin type or level of acne severity can now benefit from their laser system’s effective, safe, and long-lasting results.

"This achievement cannot be overstated," Christopher Carlton, Accure Acne's co-founder, chairman of the board, and chief executive officer, said in a statement. "After many years of rigorous technical, scientific, and clinical development, The Accure Laser has delivered yet another milestone achievement-the ability to provide a significant, sustained, and durable drug-free alternative for acne patients and their providers.”

Accure Acne Announces New FDA Clearance for the Long-Term Treatment of Acne. Accure Acne, Inc. October 15, 2024. https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/accure-acne-announces-new-fda-clearance-for-the-long-term-treatment-of-acne-302276293.html. Date accessed: October 15, 2024.

Eichenfield DZ, Sprague J, Eichenfield LF. Management of Acne Vulgaris: A Review. 

 2021;326(20):2055–2067. doi:10.1001/jama.2021.17633.

Accure Acne, Inc. has received FDA clearance for its Accure Laser System, designed for long-term treatment of mild-to-severe inflammatory acne vulgaris. The system uses a unique 1726 nm laser wavelength to target sebaceous glands, with temperature as an endpoint, offering a novel alternative to traditional methods. Clinical trials showed a 70% reduction in inflammatory lesions, with consistent results across skin types. Following a successful US release, the system expanded to Europe, the Caribbean, the Middle East, and Asia Pacific, demonstrating high satisfaction among users.

The Accure Laser System is indicated for long term treatment of patients known to have mild to severe inflammatory acne vulgaris.

Dermatology

The HCPLive dermatology page is a resource for medical news and expert insights on skin disease. This page features expert-led coverage, articles, videos and research on the therapies and development of treatments for dermatologic conditions, and more.

Acne

The HCPLive acne page is a resource for medical news and expert insights on dermatological disease. This page features expert-led coverage, articles, videos, and research on the therapies and development of treatments for chronic acne, and more.

FDA Clears Long-Term Laser Treatment for Inflammatory Acne Vulgaris

Victoria Johnson joined the MJH Life Sciences in 2020 and has written for NeurologyLive, CGTLive, and now HCPLive. You can reach her at vjohnson@mjhlifesciences.com

The burden of LC-MASLD has significantly increased, especially in economically disadvantaged countries. 

Burden, Inequality, Complications of MASLD Growing in Prevalence 

SGLT2 inhibitors appeared effective in improving hepatic inflammation and fibrosis indices in patients with type 2 diabetes and suspected MASLD. 

Type 2 Diabetes

SGLT2i Outperforms DPP4i in Improving Hepatic Fibrosis Indices in MASLD

This analysis may help identify at-risk patients of liver enzyme elevation following sustained virologic response among individuals with hepatitis C virus infection.

Study Identifies Risk Factors for Liver Enzyme Elevation Following Hepatitis C Virologic Cure

Videos

Lauren Miller, MPAS, PA-C; Jayme M. Heim, MSN FNP-BC, and Kirk Gautier, PA-C, discuss recent advancements in plaque psoriasis treatment, focusing on novel oral systemic therapies like the TYK-2 inhibitor deucravacitinib and its clinical trial data, to inform therapeutic decisions for this systemic disease.

Medcast Videos

Exploring Oral Systemic Therapies For Plaque Psoriasis: Efficacy, Safety, and Clinical Considerations

A new study highlights suboptimal HDV screening rates in HBV-infected individuals, suggesting that treating HBV may improve survival for those with HDV coinfection.

Poor Hepatitis D Screening in HBV Patients Impacts Survival Outcomes

Study findings showed children with both obesity and MASLD have a greater risk of youth-onset type 2 diabetes than those with obesity alone.

MASLD Increases Risk of Youth-Onset Type 2 Diabetes in Children with Obesity

Podcasts

Brian Hansen, president of CGM at Ascensia Diabetes Care, joins the podcast to discuss the FDA clearance of the Eversense 365 CGM. 

Type 1 Diabetes

Endocrinology

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FDA News

podcasts page features a feed of medical news and interview podcast series, including DocTalk, Lungcast, Derm Discussions, Rare Disease Report, and Heart Trials.

Diabetes Dialogue: What to Know About the Eversense 365 CGM, with Brian Hansen

Anemia could be a reliable sign of all-cause mortality in patients with heart failure.

Anemia

Hematology

Heart Failure

The HCPLive heart failure page is a resource for medical news and expert insights on HF. This page features expert-led coverage, articles, videos and research on the therapies and development of treatments for heart disease, reduced and preserved ejection fraction, and more.

Anemia Notably Impacts Heart Failure Prognosis, Study Finds

The new administration options allow a single-injection option for patients that require a 320 mg dose. 

Psoriatic Arthritis

On the HCPLive psoriatic arthritis page, resources on the topics of medical news and expert insight into PsA can be found. Content includes articles, interviews, videos, podcasts, and breaking news on arthritis, and more.

Rheumatology

Rheumatology condition center page is a comprehensive resource for clinical news and insights on rheumatologic disease. This page consists of interviews, articles, podcasts, and videos on the research, treatment and development of therapies for arthritis, gout, nr-AxSpA, and more.

New Administration Options Approved for Bimekizumab for Psoriasis, PsA 

In this analysis, the investigators sought to assess the efficacy and safety of risankizumab compared to placebo for patients with palmoplantar psoriasis.

Plaque Psoriasis

The HCPLive plaque psoriasis page is a resource for medical news and expert insights on psoriasis. This page features expert-led coverage, articles, videos and research on the therapies and development of treatments for psoriatic disease, and more.

Latest News

Serum Total Bile Acid Levels Linked to Elevated HCC Risk in Cirrhosis

Screening for MASLD is Cost-Effective for Patients, Study Suggests

Policy Changes Boost Survival in Pediatric Liver Transplants

Study Suggests Value of Noninvasive FibroScan-AST Score for Ruling Out Fibrotic MASH

FDA Clears Long-Term Laser Treatment for Inflammatory Acne Vulgaris