FDA Expands Stelara Approval; Liver Cancer Blood Test; Pharmacotherapy for MASLD

The FDA expanded the approval of ustekinumab (Stelara) in Crohn’s disease to include the treatment of kids as young as 2 years, Johnson & Johnson announced.

High clinical remission rates (98%) at approximately 5 years were reported with guselkumab (Tremfya) maintenance in Crohn’s disease, long-term follow-up of the phase II GALAXI-1 trial showed. (Inflammatory Bowel Diseases)

And with guselkumab in ulcerative colitis, corticosteroid-free clinical remission was observed in upwards of 70% at roughly 2 years, according to long-term extension findings from QUASAR. (American Journal of Gastroenterology)

Data from Sweden over the past quarter-century revealed increasing incidence and prevalence of microscopic colitis, possibly related to broader awareness of the condition. (Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology)

Taking more sick time from work may start years before a diagnosis of celiac disease. (Gastro Hep Advances)

Compared with ultrasound, a multi-analyte cell-free DNA-based blood test (HelioLiver Dx) demonstrated superior sensitivity and noninferior specificity for the early detection of liver cancer, including small lesions, researchers reported in the Journal of Hepatology.

The FDA issued a priority voucher promising a quick review of zenocutuzumab (Bizengri) for previously treated advanced, unresectable, or metastatic cholangiocarcinoma in patients harboring a NRG1 gene fusion, said drugmaker Partner Therapeutics.

Normal-weight people with steatotic liver disease (SLD) in a Japanese cohort study had a higher prevalence of cardiovascular disease compared with healthy controls and those with obesity and SLD. (Gastro Hep Advances)

The Fibrosis-4 index misses significant fibrosis in many people living with HIV, particularly those with metabolic dysfunction-associated SLD (MASLD), findings from a large multinational screening study showed. (Hepatology)

Can MASLD care pathways find their way into the primary care setting? (Gastro Hep Advances)

U.K. experts reviewed the use of pharmacotherapies in non-cirrhotic MASLD. (Lancet Gastroenterology & Hepatology)

Meanwhile, JAMA published a broad review on hepatitis B.

Metabolic dysfunction was not linked with a higher mortality risk in patients with severe alcohol-associated hepatitis, according to findings of a multinational prospective study. (Hepatology)