Event Programme
Stay updated with our conference agenda.
June 21
Arrival Day
Arrival and registration
15.00 – 16.00
Introduction to the ALCOMET 2026 Road Map Paper
Working group meetings
Aleksander Krag, Mads Israelsen
16.30 – 18.00
Welcome Dinner
18.30 -
June 22
Day 1: The Therapeutic Landscape, Drug Targets and Learnings so far
Welcome and Opening Remarks
Aleksander Krag, Mads Israelsen
08.30 – 08.45
The urgent need for therapeutics in ALD and MetALD
Aleksander Krag
08.45 – 09.00
Session 1: Global Epidemiology of Patients in Need for Therapy
Chairs: Peter Jepsen, Brian Lee
09.00 – 10.00
- Burden of alcohol-related liver disease
Zobair Younossi
09.00 – 09.10
- The impact of alcohol underreporting
Mads Israelsen
09.10 – 09.20
- The interaction between alcohol and cardiometabolic risk factors
Luis Antonio Diaz
09.20 – 09.30
- Panel discussion – knowledge gaps and research agenda
Moderator: Peter Jepsen
Panel: Brian Lee, Zobair Younossi, Mads Israelsen, Luis Antonio Diaz
09.30 – 10.00
Coffee Break
10.00 – 10.30
Session 2: Current Status of Drug Development in ALD and MetALD
Chairs: Brian Lee, Aleksander Krag
10.30 – 11.30
- Overview of investigator-initiated trials
10.30 – 10.40
- ALD 7730 Novo Nordisk
Michelle Long
10.40 – 10.50
- Considerations for Phase 2 studies in ALD from a sponsor's perspective: Experience from initiating the GSK STARLIGHT study
Nikhil Vergis
10.50 – 11.00
- Panel discussion – barriers and research agenda
Moderator: Aleksander Krag
Panel: Brian Lee, Susana G Rodrigues, Michelle Long, Nikhil Vergis
11.00 – 11.30
Coffee Break
11.30 – 12.00
Session 3: Learnings from the MASH Field
Chairs: Paul Brennan, Sven Francque
12.00 – 13.00
- Building a clinical trial network
12.00 – 12.10
- Endpoints – from early response biomarkers to surrogate endpoints for regulatory approval
12.10 – 12.20
- Sponsor perspectives: Key barriers in drug development for ALD and MetALD
12.20 – 12.30
- Panel discussion – barriers and research agenda
Moderator: Paul Brennan
Panel: Sven Francque, Mary Rinella
12.30 – 13.00
Lunch
13.00 – 14.00
Session 4: Drug Targets and Development Strategies. Part I: Pathophysiology and Drug Targets
Chair: Elisa Pose
14.00 – 15.00
- Pathophysiology in ALD – drug targets
14.00 – 14.10
- Genetics as drug targets
14.10 – 14.20
- Risk factors as drug targets - targeting alcohol use disorder and cardiometabolic diseases
14.20 – 14.30
- Panel discussion – barriers and research agenda
Moderator: Elisa Pose
Panel: Richard Parker, Stefan Stender, Ramon Bataller
14.30 – 15.00
Break
15.00 – 15.15
Session 4: Drug Targets and Development Strategies. Part II: Preclinical Models
Chair: Ramon Bataller
15.15 – 16.00
- In vivo models
15.15 – 15.25
- Omics and AI models
15.25 – 15.35
- Panel discussion – barriers and research agenda
Moderator: Ramon Bataller
Panel: Frank Tacke, Carolin Schneider
15.35 – 16.00
Coffee Break
16.00 – 16.30
Session 5: Industry and Regulatory Perspectives
Chairs: Aleksander Krag, Juan Pablo Arab
16.30 – 17.30
- Perspective on recruitment - industry representative
16.30 – 16.40
- Perspective on industry guidance for regulators
16.40 – 16.50
- Regulatory perspective
16.50 – 17.00
- Panel discussion – barriers and research agenda
Moderator: Aleksander Krag
Panel: Juan Pablo Arab, Nikhil Vergis, Michelle Long, Mack Mitchell
17.00 – 17.30
Closing remarks
Aleksander Krag
17.30 – 17.40
Dinner
19.00 -
June 23
Day 2: Clinical Trial Design, Recruitment, Research Agenda and Future Pathways
Session 6: Clinical Trial Design. Part I: Population
Chair: Alexandre Louvet
09.00 – 10.00
- Populations in need of therapy – from early ALD to cirrhosis
09.00 – 09.10
- Pathways to identify patients in need of therapy
09.10 – 09.20
- Debate: If abstinence works, why develop drugs for ALD?
Pro: Ashwani Singal
Con: Jessica Mellinger
09.20 – 09.40
- Panel discussion – barriers and research agenda
Moderator: Alexandre Louvet
Panel: Emmanuel Tsochatzis, Ashwani Singal, Jessica Mellinger
09.40 – 10.00
Session 6: Clinical Trial Design. Part II: Alcohol Quantification
Chairs: Thomas Marjot, Mads Israelsen
10.00 – 11.00
- Estimation of alcohol intake: Questionnaires
10.00 – 10.10
- Phosphatidyl ethanol (PEth) and other alcohol biomarkers
10.10 – 10.20
- Debate: What should be the primary data source for alcohol intake: self-report or biomarkers?
Moderator: Thomas Marjot
Self-reported: Gerald Scott Winder
Biomarkers: Mary Rinella
10.20 – 10.40
- Panel discussion – barriers and research agenda
Moderator: Thomas Marjot
Panel: Mads Israelsen, Brian Lee, Nikolaj Torp, Mary Rinella, Gerald Scott Winder
10.40 – 11.00
Break
11.00 – 11.30
Session 6: Clinical Trial Design. Part III: ENDPOINTS
Chair: Mattias Mandorfer
11.30 – 13.00
- From early response biomarkers to surrogate endpoints for regulatory approval
11.30 – 11.40
- Imaging-based biomarkers of treatment response
11.40 – 11.50
- Blood-based biomarkers of treatment response
11.50 – 12.00
- Ordinal outcomes
12.00 – 12.10
- Histopathology: Endpoint validation and insights into mode of action
12.10 – 12.20
- Panel discussion – barriers and research agenda
Moderator: Mattias Mandorfer
Panel: Morten Karsdal, Maja Thiele, Elisa Pose, Juan G Abraldes, Carolin Lackner
12.20 – 13.00
Lunch
13.00 – 14.00
Keynote Lecture
14.00 – 14.20
- A global Delphi consensus to define chronic liver disease severity: Replacing cirrhosis with a stage-based model
14.00 – 14.10
- Panel discussion – barriers and research agenda
Moderator: Mattias Mandorfer
Panel: Aleksander Krag, Mary Rinella
14.10 – 14.20
Session 7: Clinical Trials Across the Disease Spectrum
Chairs: Horia Stefanescu, Christophe Moreno
14.20 – 15.20
- Trials in pre-cirrhosis
14.20 – 14.30
- Trials in compensated advanced chronic liver disease (cACLD), with and without portal hypertension
14.30 – 14.40
- Trials in decompensated cirrhosis
14.40 – 14.50
- Status on EASL-AASLD statements on endpoints for clinical trials in MetALD and ALD
14.50 – 15.00
- Panel discussion – barriers and research agenda
Moderator: Horia Stefanescu
Panel: Ashwani Singal, Giacomo Germani, Christophe Moreno, Juan Pablo Arab
15.00 – 15.20
Break
15.20 – 15.40
Session 8: Patient Recruitment in Global Trials
Chairs: Thomas Marjot, Gautam Mehta
15.40 – 16.30
- Healthcare pathways
15.40 – 15.50
- Patient identification and recruitment
15.50 – 16.00
- Alcohol use disorder as a comorbidity
16.00 – 16.10
- Panel discussion – barriers and research agenda
Moderators: Thomas Marjot
Panel: Gautam Mehta, Camilla Dalby Hansen, Gro Askgaard, Nikhil Vergis
16.10 – 16.30
Closing remarks
Aleksander Krag
16.30 – 17.00
Dinner
19.00 -
June 24