It’s been called a “silent epidemic” that’s slowly wasting away the livers of millions of Americans while doctors have a paltry understanding of the disease and no approved treatments.
Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis, or NASH, is now in the sights of more than a dozen drugmakers. Allergan Plc became the latest Tuesday, announcing two deals to acquire NASH treatments in less than 12 hours. It’s racing companies from startup Intercept Pharmaceuticals Inc. to giants including Gilead Sciences Inc. and Pfizer Inc. to reach an untapped market that could be worth $5 billion to $10 billion a year, according to a May estimate by RBC Capital Markets Corp. analyst Michael Yee.
