 Spectrum --
July 2008
 Introduction:
Novel noninvasive liver diagnostics are poised to
revolutionize the diagnosis of liver disease and increase drug-treatment rates
in this indication. In this report, we discuss current liver disease diagnostic
techniques and summarize thought-leader perceptions of noninvasive approaches,
gathered in a series of interviews with leading hepatologists. We provide a
general view of the market potential for noninvasive liver diagnostics and the
challenges and opportunities for companies seeking to commercialize them. To present a picture of the hypothetical market potential
for noninvasive liver diagnostics in the HCV patient population, we built a
simple market model based on estimations of the size of the treatment-eligible
hepatitis C patient population in the United States, France, Germany, Italy,
Spain, and the United Kingdom in 2008 and in 2012.
Get the Answers You Need to Shape Your Strategy:
 Liver biopsy is widely considered the diagnostic standard for
the assessment of liver fibrosis in patients with viral hepatitis. However, the
invasive procedure is not appropriate for all patients with liver disease. What
are the advantages and disadvantages of this widely used procedure? What are
the key unmet needs in the diagnosis and treatment of liver disease?
Noninvasive liver diagnostics have the potential to play a
significant role in the management of patients with liver disease and
dramatically expand the drug-treated population in this indication. What are
the key noninvasive liver diagnostic approaches that offer an alternative to
invasive liver biopsy, and what are their advantages and disadvantages? What do
physicians have to say about these novel approaches? What is their market
potential?
Algorithms that combine the use of two or more noninvasive
diagnostic tests are under investigation. How do these algorithms promise to
improve the ability of noninvasive diagnostic tests to determine the extent of
liver disease in patients?
Scope:
Liver disease: overview of liver disease.
Liver function diagnostics: discussion of the liver
biopsy procedure; coverage of key noninvasive diagnostics.
Diagnostics algorithms: coverage of key liver
diagnostics algorithms.
Thought-leader insight: in-depth discussion of
physicians’ perceptions of the use of noninvasive diagnostics in liver disease.
Market potential of noninvasive liver diagnostics:
market model provides a picture of the hypothetical market potential of these
approaches in the hepatitis C virus population in the United States, France,
Germany, Italy, Spain, and the United Kingdom in 2008 and 2012.
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