LiverMultiScan detects earlier stages of treatable disease in patients with autoimmune hepatitis, study shows

A study has shown that LiverMultiScan-cT1 improved autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) management by identifying patients in biochemical remission as well as patients in deep remission, with undetected, active sub-clinical disease at a high risk of disease relapse. LiverMultiScan-cT1 is an MRI-derived non-invasive tissue biomarker from Perspectum.

Patients with AIH often experience recurring periods of subdued disease activity, experiencing few or no symptoms, followed by disease flares and worsening liver health, making disease management challenging for clinicians. Clinical monitoring of AIH currently relies on blood biomarkers, which are non-specific and cannot detect small but clinically relevant changes in disease activity. Therefore, there is an unmet need to adopt improved non-invasive techniques that can accurately stage and monitor disease, allowing for individualised patient management.

The study by King’s College Hospital, London, and Oxford University Hospitals, published in eClinicalMedicine (The Lancet) demonstrated that cT1 measurements obtained with LiverMultiScan performed better than blood biomarkers and FibroScan in identifying those patients likely to experience disease progression, despite being in biochemical remission. Furthermore, this information had a positive impact on the clinicians’ intended management plan. Because the majority of patients with AIH require life-long monitoring, LiverMultiScan can help clinicians to identify those with active sub-clinical disease, despite having normal blood markers, to provide tailored clinical treatment.

“I would like people to know that LiverMultiScan is a game changer for clinicians and healthcare systems and a life changer for patients,” said Pamela Tollett, a patient who has had AIH for over two decades.

“Unfortunately, the current method of monitoring AIH, using blood markers, is not an accurate reflection of the extent of inflammation – blood work can be totally normal while the disease is bubbling away, causing damage,” Tollett said. “Regular LiverMultiScan monitoring will mean swifter and more accurate clinical responses, enabling medication to be used at optimal levels and duration.”

Published on page 26 of the June 2022 issue of RAD Magazine.