Massachusetts General Hospital

Fatty Liver Clinic: Clinical Trials The MGH Liver Clinic currently has several studies to monitor the progress of patients with fatty liver disease.

It remains unknown why some people develop fatty liver, and why some develop advanced disease while others do not. The Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease Repository follows patients every 6 months when they come for their regularly scheduled appointments and monitors their liver disease and response to treatment.

Additional ongoing clinical trials include the ARISE (Acid Lipase Replacement Investigating Safety and Efficacy) study, which will evaluate the safety and efficacy of sebelipase alfa (SBC-102, recombinant human LAL) administered every other week as an intravenous infusion in patients with late onset lysosomal acid lipase deficiency (LALD). LALD is a genetic disease characterized by abnormal fat accumulation in many parts of the body due to a decrease in activity of the enzyme lysosomal acid lipase (LAL). The late onset form of the disease occurs in children and adults and can cause cirrhosis and dyslipidemia. Late onset LALD is characterized by an enlarged liver, abnormal liver function tests (LFTs) and elevated cholesterol levels. Patients diagnosed with suspected LALD can be screened at the MGH Fatty Liver Clinic. Those with LALD may be eligible for enrollment.

To learn more, visit the list of ongoing clinical trials within the Division of Gastroenterology.