The Swiss pharmaceutical giant Novartis, which has been shedding research programs as part of a broader restructuring, is now backing away from a prominent liver disease that, in recent years, captured much attention and investment from drugmakers.
The disease, called nonalcoholic steatohepatitis or NASH for short, is caused by a progressive buildup of fat in the liver, and over time leads to the organ scarring and becoming less functional. While estimates vary, some experts believe millions of people in the U.S. are living with NASH.
