Jonel Trebicka, EF CLIF Deputy Director and Chair of the SAB, opened the meeting by acknowledging the SAB’s valuable feedback from last year and introducing the new Secretary of the SAB, Salvatore Piano from University of Padova, Italy. Trebicka presented the agenda, emphasizing EF CLIF’s key milestones and outlining the feedback anticipated from the SAB Meeting.

Richard Moreau, Director of EF CLIF, presented updates on the foundation’s organizational structure following former Director Vicente Arroyo’s retirement in January 2024. Key developments included:

• A renovated governance structure to streamline decision-making.
• Expanded collaborations, including a partnership with GENFIT and new research initiatives extending beyond diagnostic and predictive scores.
• Active involvement in harmonizing global diagnostic criteria for acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF) through collaborations with other consortia.

Moreau outlined the foundation’s clinical research program and its objectives for the next three years, emphasizing that several initiatives have been launched based on previous recommendations from the SAB. He also presented updates on the EF CLIF research activities, including the ongoing collaboration with colleagues at Ruijin Hospital–Shanghai Jiao Tong University in China. Moreau stressed the need for strengthening collaboration across other consortia and professional associations, particularly the North American Consortia for the Study of End Stage Liver Disease (NACSELD), the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD) and the Asian-Pacific Association for the Study of the Liver (APASL), highlighting progress towards acceptance and harmonization of the EASL-CLIF-C criteria for ACLF.

Anna Bosch, EF CLIF General Manager, introduced recent changes to the corporate structure, including the establishment of a new Governing Board that replaces the former Executive Scientific Committee. Bosch highlighted how this new structure integrates external advisors and executive team members, enabling more strategic decision-making.She also discussed expanded funding efforts, such as the partnership with GENFIT, secured support from Grifols, and plans for collaborations with major pharmaceutical companies to ensure the continuity of the EF CLIF operations.

Paolo Angeli, Chair of the EASL-CLIF Consortium Steering Committee, proposed a new large, real-world prospective study investigating the natural history of compensated cirrhosis.

Jonel Trebicka brought to discussion a proposal to valorize the role of EF CLIF-affiliated hospitals by addressing their needs for improving patient care, reducing costs, and building expertise across medical specialties. He detailed how EF CLIF’s know-how and expertise could contribute to achieving these goals.

Next, Thierry Gustot, Vice-Chair of the EASL-CLIF Consortium Steering Committee and Principal Investigator of the CHANCE study, presented an overview of this global observational study. He summarized key findings from former interim analysis highlighting the need for improved liver allocation policies and access for patients with severe ACLF.

Richard Moreau and Joan Clària, Head of Translational Operations who also serves as Director of the Grifols Chair and coordinates the ENTR-CLIF, shared updates on two ongoing translational research projects.

Lastly, Jonel Trebicka concluded the meeting by expressing gratitude to the SAB members for their insightful contributions and suggestions, which will help shape EF CLIF’s future directions.