United States: Fatty liver disease responds to treatment with Ozempic/Wegovy, which shows the capacity to halt and reverse the condition according to clinical trial results.
More about the news
Study participants who received semaglutide demonstrated significant liver disease improvement as approximately 63% of people on this treatment stopped their fatty liver condition compared to only 34% receiving placebo medication, according to findings published in the New England Journal of Medicine on April 30.
About 15 million Americans develop fatty liver disease, also known as metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH), at rates corresponding to 1 in 20 adult individuals, according to research findings that were included in background details.
The build-up of fat in liver tissues triggers MASH, which produces inflammation and tissue scarring.
What are the experts stating?
According to the lead researcher, Dr. Arun Sanyal, director of the Virginia Commonwealth University Stravitz-Sanyal Institute for Liver Disease and Metabolic Health, results from the clinical trial “provide strong evidence that semaglutide can help patients with MASH by not only improving liver health but also addressing the underlying metabolic issues that contribute to the disease,” US News reported.
The cutting-edge weight-loss drug Ozempic/Wegovy can stop and even reverse fatty liver disease, a new clinical trial has found. #liverhealth #Ozempic #Wegovy #weightloss #publichealth https://t.co/t7nXi7faeO
— HealthDay News (@HealthDayTweets) May 1, 2025
The Cleveland Clinic describes fatty liver disease as a medical condition that develops from obesity and type 2 diabetes, elevated cholesterol levels, and high blood pressure.
Semaglutide is a glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) drug. Semaglutide functions to imitate the GLP-1 hormone to regulate blood sugar levels in addition to reducing hunger and slowing down stomach emptying.
The 800-participant clinical trial involving liver disease patients in 37 countries used a random protocol to give semaglutide to approximately two-thirds of participants for 72 weeks.
Researchers reported that semaglutide treatment led to liver inflammation reduction, and about 37% of participants had decreased liver scarring, but only 23% of placebo users experienced this benefit.
The study results demonstrated that semaglutide benefited 33% of participants who had both decreased inflammation and improved scarring, while users of the placebo medication experienced these improvements at 16%.
Semaglutide served as a treatment mechanism to assist patients in weight reduction while simultaneously enhancing liver condition and cardiac health, according to scientific findings.
“By treating both liver disease and its metabolic causes, semaglutide offers a promising new approach for millions of patients,” Sanyal added.