S2-E42 - How Do Fibroblast Growth Factor (FGF) Drugs Work and Why Are They So Important?

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Professor Arun Sanyal and Stephen Harrison provide a 40-minute briefing on fibroblast growth factor (FGF) agents and why they are so important to the future of NASH and NAFLD therapy.

This discussion combines a discussion of the role Fibroblast Growth Factors (FGFs) play in the liver and human body in general, followed by a discussion of what this implies for drug development in general and some of the specific agents currently in testing or market:

0:15 - Opening quotes - Stephen Harrison, Arun Sanyal, Roger Green

2:07 - Episode begins

2:57 - Meet Professor Arun Sanyal

4:47 - Quick Look at Health Systems and Policy: India, UK, future episodes - Arun, Louise Campbell, Roger

8:16 - Icebreaker and episode set-up - Roger and panel

13:07 - Efruxifermin trials - Stephen Harrison

18:00 - How FGFs work -- Arun Sanyal

21:13 - Liver pathophysiology and insulin resistance -- Stephen and Arun

28:13 - Q & A comparing agents in development - Roger, Louise Campbell, Arun and Stephen

42:09 - Roger offers two choices for the episode's Final Question. Arun provides an exceptionally thoughtful and thought-provoking answer.

The discussion itself includes three elements: first, a discussion of recent efruxifermin trials; second, a discussion of how FGFs work in the liver and rest of the body; and third, comparing and contrasting the various FGF-21 and FGF-19 drugs that are in development (or have been discontinued).