Bausch Health study highlights alcohol-associated hepatitis burden

LAVAL, Quebec — Bausch Health Companies and its gastroenterology business, Salix Pharmaceuticals, are presenting new real-world research highlighting the substantial clinical burden of severe alcohol-associated hepatitis, including high mortality and rehospitalization rates.

The findings will be presented at the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases’ The Liver Meeting 2026, November 5–9 in Denver.

The study, titled “Clinical Burden and Outcomes in a Large Real-World Cohort of Patients Hospitalized with Severe Alcohol-Associated Hepatitis,” evaluated 1,630 adults hospitalized in the United States for severe alcohol-associated hepatitis.

Researchers found that the estimated overall survival at 12 months was 62%, underscoring the serious prognosis associated with advanced alcohol-related liver disease.

Rehospitalization rates were also substantial, with 31.4% of patients readmitted within 30 days of discharge. By 12 months, the rehospitalization rate was estimated at 69.1%, and the liver transplantation rate was estimated at 8.5%.

The findings highlight the need for improved disease management strategies, more effective treatments, and continued research into severe alcohol-associated hepatitis, a serious inflammatory liver condition linked to heavy alcohol use.

“The findings of this study highlight the substantial burden of advanced liver disease and the urgent unmet need facing patients hospitalized with severe alcohol-associated hepatitis,” said Jonathan Sadeh, executive vice president, chief medical officer and head of research and development at Bausch Health.

“Generating real-world evidence is essential to better understanding patients’ needs and informing research priorities as we work toward improving outcomes for people living with serious liver disease.”

Bausch Health said the research contributes to a broader understanding of the challenges faced by patients with advanced liver disease and reinforces the importance of developing effective therapeutic approaches.

Salix Pharmaceuticals specializes in gastrointestinal and liver-related conditions and has developed and marketed treatments for gastrointestinal diseases for more than 35 years.