D-1 Before First Ever International NASH Day: Detailed Program Announcement & Liver Forum Endorsement

- Tomorrow is a first-of-its-kind disease awareness event, the First International NASH Day, paving the way for a better care for millions of NASH patients in the future. This ground breaking event aims at raising awareness about a silent killer called NASH, thanks to an open and inclusive collaboration at a global level.      (Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/658690/International_NASH_DAY_Logo.jpg )      (Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/658691/NASH_Education_Program_Logo.jpg ) Endorsement by the Liver Forum   The Forum for Collaborative Research is proud to support the first International NASH Day taking place tomorrow, June 12, 2018. This is a groundbreaking event organized by the NASH Education Program™ and its benefactors and supporters around the world. Over 20 international organizations have joined the coalition, and 150 key opinion leaders in the field have signed onto a global Call-to-Action. Veronica Miller, PhD, Executive Director of the Forum for Collaborative Research reflected on the importance of the 1st International NASH Day, noting, "The health and socio-economic burden of NASH will seriously impact health systems and productivity. NASH is insidious by nature, and many will be diagnosed too late. Even before end stage liver disease, NASH impacts metabolic and cardiovascular health. Increased awareness at patient, community and medical level is key to turning the tide on this public health emergency". Symbolic launch of the 1st International NASH Day   The open and inclusive collaboration behind the First International NASH Day has been materialized by the call to action sent to the world on June 5, 2018 by 150 experts in liver and metabolic diseases. Most continents are represented. It was a year ago in Europe that this groundbreaking initiative took shape thanks to a new impetus given by stakeholders specialized in NASH, liver and metabolic diseases. Since then, the heart of the global set-up remains European, with a pivotal role in supervising and coordinating the event. Latin America has played a pivotal role in promoting the initiative across essential countries with populations particularly exposed to the risk of NASH, and has managed to create strong dynamics in the region. In Asia, Singapore and Hong-Kong have taken some early steps to be part of the dynamics paving the way for a stronger involvement in 2019. The United States have for many years been exposed to the threat represented by NASH, and for this first edition will host the symbolic launch of the International NASH Day: Official ribbon cutting ceremony at 11:30amon Monday 11, 2018 On the U.S. Capitolhill, Washington DC  By: Ms. Pascaline Clerc (US campaign manager and US spokesperson - The NASH Education Program™), Ms. Donna Cryer (CEO - Global Liver Institute), Dr. Katherine Greene (Senior Research Associate - Liver Forum), Ben Goodman (NAFLD patient and son of a NASH patient, and staff assistant for a member of the U.S. House of Representatives), and Pr. Stephen A. Harrison (MD, PhD, Medical Director of Pinnacle Clinical Research, San Antonio, Texas; Visiting Professor of Hepatology at the Radcliffe Department of Medicine, University of Oxford; and member of the scientific committee of The NASH Education Program™). A NASH-specific Congressional Briefing to Hill staffers will take place on the same day, demonstrating the recognition that NASH is a real threat to millions of people in the United States and beyond. Online WebTV program  The program will be made available on https://www.international-nash-day.com It is divided into 7 independent sections In this first TV show you will understand - thanks to a worldwide overview - how little-known NASH is and why this situation has to be changed. Liver experts will go over non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) details, its mechanisms, consequences, symptoms and the stigmas associated with liver diseases. These will also be highlighted by a patient testimony at the end of the video.   In this second TV show, you will understand how widespread NASH is, with prevalence figures and future projections presented. During the interviews, livers experts will address NASH frequency, genetic predispositions, how children are now subject to this preventable disease, and which populations are most commonly affected.  In this third TV show, you will discover that NASH is much more than just a liver disease and that it is related to metabolic disorders - such as diabetes and obesity - and closely linked to modern lifestyles: unhealthy diets and lack of physical exercise. The diverse speaker panel will explain why some people are more at risk than others and how much exercise can help, if sufficient and sustained. Lastly, the video will follow patients associations in their mobilizations against NASH.  In this fourth TV show, you will discover how much of a challenge NASH diagnosis is - mainly because NASH is a silent disease (with no symptoms) which makes it difficult to diagnose - and how current procedures can be a bottleneck in the patient journey. Liver experts will explain the current invasive and non-invasive diagnostic techniques used when NASH is suspected, as well as the latest research in novel diagnostic tools and what the future holds in terms of diagnosis.   In this fifth TV show, you will learn more about the consequences of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis in the liver, but also in the rest of the body since it is associated to a number of conditions. A sports journalist will share his testimony as a NASH patient that overcame a liver and a kidney transplant as a last resort to survive, and the Executive Director of The Liver Forum will explain how experts work to research the best patient clinical management solutions. In the end, you will know more about the consequences on health, the consequences on the economy, stigmas, lessons learned and the dire need for awareness.  In this sixth video, you will discover how much of a challenge patient management is, and especially, how we can answer this burning question: "how can we care for patients in the absence of treatment?"- Today, on top of the lifestyle change (weight loss and exercise) ongoing research on therapeutic solutions paves the way for a better patient care. Moreover, you'll discover how physicians are all working hand in hand to cover all the aspects of this multi-faceted disease. Finally, you will have the opportunity to hear the American Liver Foundation's CEO's perspectives on NASH.   In this seventh and last video, you will learn more about the next key challenges in the field of NASH, and about the crucial need for awareness and public policy. Experts will give some forecast about NASH, ongoing research and shed light on future management solutions. You will get insights on the economic burden of NASH and the need for all stakeholders to be involved in NASH awareness. To conclude these seven sequences, there will be a special focus on how street art can help increase awareness to a young urban population particularly exposed to the risk of NASH- and on what we can hope for in the future.  Program of on-site activities in 25+ cities across the globe  All details about official activities can be found on the official website of the event: https://www.international-nash-day.com/take-action/join-an-activity Barcelona (Spain) - Brussels (Belgium) - Durham (USA) - Istanbul (Turkey) - Lille (France) - London (UK) - Mainz (Germany) - Mexico (Mexico) - Miami (USA) - New-York (USA) - Nice (France) - Paris (France) - Philadelphia (USA) - Saint-Louis (USA) - Santiago de Chile (Chile) - San Antonio (USA) - San Diego (USA) - Sevilla (Spain) - Washington DC (USA) Berlin (Germany) - Boston (USA) - Brussels (Belgium) - Hong-Kong (Greater China) - Istanbul (Turkey) - Lausanne (Switzerland) - Lille (France) - London (UK) - Madrid (Spain) - Mainz (Germany) - Mexico (Mexico) - Miami (USA) - New-York (USA) - Nice (France) - Paris (France) - Phoenix (USA) - Roma (Italy) - San Antonio (USA) - San Diego (USA) - Singapore - Stockholm (Sweden) - Washington DC (USA) Antwerp (Belgium) - Brussels (Belgium) - Maastricht (The Netherlands) - Mexico (Mexico) - San Antonio (USA) Note that while most activities take place on June 12, several events have also been organized a few days ahead of the 1st International NASH Day. The campaign will also continue after June 12. Special thanks  Key opinion leaders from several countries across the globe are involved in the preparation of several local conferences, in collaboration with The NASH Education Program™. We want to commend specifically: Social networks activities  As a reminder official hashtags are #NASHday #MacLiver Global supporters and benefactors  Local supporters and benefactors  About NASH  NASH, or nonalcoholic steatohepatitis, is a metabolic disease characterized by the accumulation of fat in the liver, along with inflammation and the degeneration of liver cells. The disease is associated with long-term risk of progression into diminished liver functionality, leading to non-alcoholic cirrhosis, liver insufficiency and possibly even liver cancer. It also is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular diseases which represent the leading cause of mortality for NASH patients. The rise of NASH is connected to type 2 diabetes and obesity epidemics that are growing globally. About The NASH Education Program™  The non-profit NASH Education Program defines and drives initiatives in collaboration with an independent scientific committee composed of four international key opinion leaders in the hepatic and metabolic disease ecosystems in the U.S. and Europe. To learn more, visit http://www.the-nash-education-program.com. ContactThe NASH Education Program™contact@nash-education-program.comPascaline Clerc - U.S. Campaign Manager | pascaline.c@nash-education-program.comPress Relations For the EU: Ulysse Communication | Bruno Arabian | barabian@ulysse-communication.com | +33 687884726 For the US: SuSiglo Media | Maritza Puello | maritza.puello@gmail.com | +1-917-886-3495