Clinical

Noureddin framed MASH as one that should not be viewed in isolation by hepatologists or any other specialist, but rather understood as part of a broader cardio-liver-renal metabolic syndrome that demands comprehensive, multidisciplinary management, noting that even lean individuals with elevated visceral fat and insulin resistance can develop MASLD, and that the risk increases substantially with higher BMI and the presence of type 2 diabetes, which is strongly associated with both higher MASLD prevalence and greater rates of advanced fibrosis and cirrhosis.

This segment explores practical considerations for implementing ESR1 mutation testing in hormone receptor–positive, HER2-negative metastatic breast cancer, with a focus on testing strategy, frequency, and system-level constraints.

Nadege Gunn examined the stark economic contrast between the cost of early pharmacologic intervention in MASH and the astronomical healthcare utilization associated with late-stage liver disease, arguing that the cost of allowing MASH to progress unchecked to the point of hepatic decompensation, liver transplantation, or hepatocellular carcinoma far exceeds the investment required to treat the disease earlier with therapies capable of reversing fibrosis and resolving MASH before those devastating endpoints are reached.

Coverage from the Institute for Value-Based Medicine session in Dallas, Texas, held May 21,2026.

Use of automated insulin delivery technology improves a Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set quality measure in individuals with type 2 diabetes.

Christina Poh described the early phase efficacy data for golcadomide as highly impressive, noting that the high overall response rates and durability of responses a very promising signal that she expects will translate into a meaningful role for this first-in-class oral CELMoD agent in the relapsed or refractory follicular lymphoma treatment landscape in the near future.

Alireza Atri introduces mild behavioral impairment as an early-emerging framework for behavioral changes preceding formal dementia diagnosis.

Christina Poh discussed how the trial data reporting a PFS benefit of 88.9% versus 66.7% at 5 years and an OS advantage for IFRT plus rituximab maintenance in stage III follicular lymphoma does not entirely overturn the conventional view of radiation as a primarily early-stage tool, but does meaningfully challenge the assumption that radiotherapy has no role in advanced-stage disease while noting that additional studies are needed to confirm these findings and to evaluate radiation's role in combination with systemic therapies beyond rituximab.

Kavita Nair leads the discussion on defining Alzheimer's disease agitation.

Eplontersen added to standard of care did not significantly reduce cardiovascular death and recurrent events, a study finds.

David Zhang, MD, discusses the limitations of polygenic risk scores and remaining barriers to their clinical use in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.

FDA approves zidesamtinib for ROS1-positive NSCLC after prior TKIs, offering a new option for resistant and CNS-active disease.

David Zhang, MD, discusses how real-world EHR and biobank data could advance polygenic risk scores for IPF diagnosis and risk prediction.

Case series suggests glofitamab bridges relapsed mantle cell lymphoma to CAR T, with strong responses and mostly low-grade CRS.

CRC treatment delays were linked to higher metastatic risk, but meaningful thresholds varied by treatment pathway, supporting tailored benchmarks.

Global early-onset CKD mortality declined from 1990 to 2021, but incidence rose, highlighting persistent disparities and prevention needs.

Diana Isaacs, PharmD, BCPS, BCACP, BC-ADM, CDCES, explains how GLP-1-based therapies are reshaping diabetes, obesity, and cardiometabolic care and what that means for coverage decisions.

Experts outline evolving EP-NEC care: smarter combo therapies, DLL3 targets, precise pathology, and why early clinical trials matter.

Hepatitis B and C prevention programs improve detection, treatment, and liver outcomes, but screening, care access, and implementation gaps remain.

AI phenotyping identified cardiovascular and kidney disease as key predictors of rapid fibrosis progression, complications, and higher costs in MASH.

A common, underdiagnosed genetic disorder, hereditary hemochromatosis is costly when caught late and simple to treat when caught early.

INCA033989 showed responses across type 1 and type 2 mutant calreticulin-positive myelofibrosis, with phase 3 studies underway.

Gunn described her reaction to the SYNCHRONIZE-1 liver fat reduction data as genuinely compelling from a hepatology perspective, noting a reduction of up to 63% represents a level of hepatic fat clearance that could meaningfully transform the disease trajectory for patients, with the data also demonstrating reductions in non-invasive markers of fibrosis such as ELF and Pro-C3, adding further weight to the possibility that this combination could address not just fat accumulation but the fibrotic progression that drives the most serious liver-related morbidity.

This segment explores increasing interest from both patients and clinicians in ctDNA testing and emerging targeted therapies in hormone receptor–positive, HER2-negative metastatic breast cancer.

Gunn explained the scientific rationale for combining GLP-1 and glucagon receptor agonism in the context of MASH, noting that the liver contains glucagon receptors, making the combination a compelling strategy for achieving more direct hepatic targeting than GLP-1 receptor agonism alone can provide.