Conference Preview: AASLD The Liver Meeting 2025

The American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD) The Liver Meeting 2025 kicks off in Washington, DC, on Friday, November 7, 2025. The 5-day conference boasts the latest research shaping the future of hepatology, including groundbreaking studies, clinical insights, and innovations from investigators around the world.

The HCPLive editorial team will be on-site at the meeting, providing written coverage of practice-shifting data as well as interviews with key experts. You can keep up with our comprehensive conference coverage here. Check out what can be expected from this year’s meeting below:

Expert Interviews:

Chari Cohen, DrPH, MPH, who will discuss the quality-of-life impacts of hepatitis delta virus and the importance of raising awareness of its numerous physical and psychosocial impacts.

Pavel Strnad, MD, who will review data on fazirsiran’s efficacy in early and advanced fibrosis in patients with alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency-associated liver disease.

Christopher Bowlus, MD, who will discuss the clinical implications of no longer having obeticholic acid as a second-line treatment option in PBC and new data on the benefits of treatment with seladelpar.

Andrew Talal, MD, MPH, who will discuss findings from his research on the long-term benefits following hepatitis C virus treatment through facilitated telemedicine among people who use drugs.

Trials to Watch

There is a plethora of clinical trial data being presented at ACG 2025. HCPLive crafted a curated list of 5 trials to watch from the upcoming meeting:

1. Weight-dependent and independent effects of semaglutide in participants with MASH: secondary analysis of the phase 3 ESSENCE trial

Presentation Time: 8:45am ET on Monday, November 10, 2025

Presenter: Philip N Newsome, MD, PhD

Background Info: Semaglutide was recently granted accelerated FDA approval as the second ever approved therapy for MASH. In the 72-week interim analysis of the phase 3 ESSENCE trial, once-weekly subcutaneous semaglutide 2.4 mg met its primary endpoint for superiority over placebo for histological outcomes and non-invasive tests. Investigators will present findings from a new secondary analysis of ESSENCE clarifying whether its therapeutic effects are fully dependent on weight loss and quantifying the magnitude of weight-dependent and weight-independent effects.

2. Long-term data of elafibranor in primary sclerosing cholangitis: Interim safety and efficacy data from the ongoing open-label extension of the ELMWOOD phase II trial

Presentation Time: 11:30am ET on Sunday, November 9, 2025

Presenter: Christopher Bowlus, MD

Background Info: In the double-blind period of the phase 2 ELMWOOD trial, elafibranor was well tolerated and improved biochemical markers of cholestasis in patients with primary sclerosing cholangitis compared with placebo. At AASLD, investigators will report interim results up to 28 weeks of the ongoing ELMWOOD open-label extension.

3. Fazirsiran is effective in early and advanced fibrosis in patients with alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency-associated liver disease

Presentation Time: 8:15am ET on Sunday, November 9, 2025

Presenter: Pavel Strnad, MD

Background Info: Fazirsiran, a GalNAc siRNA targeting misfolded alpha-1 antitrypsin in the liver, is in phase 3 development for AATD-associated liver disease. It selectively enters hepatocytes via the asialoglycoprotein receptor (ASGPR; coded by ASGR1), but it is unclear whether ASGR1 expression is altered in advanced fibrosis or if dense extracellular matrix in fibrotic tissue may restrict fazirsiran delivery to hepatocytes. Data being presented at AASLD assesses ASGR1 and SERPINA1 expression across fibrosis stages and evaluates the impact of fibrosis on fazirsiran uptake and activity.

4. Volixibat leads to improvements in fatigue and sleep for adults with primary biliary cholangitis: Data from VANTAGE

Presentation Time: 3pm ET on Monday, November 10, 2025

Presenter: Kris Kowdley, MD

Background Info: A rare, autoimmune, cholestatic liver disease, PBC greatly impacts overall health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and can cause debilitating pruritus, fatigue, and sleep disturbances. To date, the symptom burden in PBC has been difficult to adequately treat. Volixibat, a minimally absorbed ileal bile acid transporter inhibitor, blocks the enterohepatic recirculation of bile acids. In the completed Part 1 (dose selection) of the VANTAGE study, treatment with volixibat resulted in statistically significant and clinically relevant improvements in pruritus. Data being presented at AASLD will explore its additional impact on fatigue and sleep.

5. Efruxifermin improved markers of portal hypertension as evaluated by Baveno VII criteria in compensated cirrhosis due to MASH: results from a 96-week, placebo-controlled, phase 2b trial (SYMMETRY)

Presentation Time: 2:45pm ET on Sunday, November 9, 2025

Presenter: Mazen Noureddin, MD, MSc

Background Info: In the SYMMETRY trial, efruxifermin, a bivalent FGF21 analog, improved fibrosis by histology in participants with compensated cirrhosis due to MASH. Notably, the presence of clinically significant portal hypertension in this population is associated with a high risk of hepatic decompensation. A secondary analysis of the trial being presented at AASLD uses non-invasive tests commonly deployed in clinical practice to assess the impact of efruxifermin treatment on presence of clinically significant portal hypertension and risk of hepatic decompensation.