Health

Wegovy Shows Promise in Treating Serious Liver Disease

Published MAY 2 2025

Story

Above: Wegovy (semaglutide), a Novo Nordisk drug being trialed for treating MASH, on Oct. 16, 2024. Image credit: James Manning/PA Images via Getty Images

The Facts

A major clinical trial published Wednesday found that semaglutide, the active ingredient in Wegovy and Ozempic, effectively treated metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH) in about two-thirds of patients with liver scarring.
The Sun
NBC
The New England Journal of Medicine published the results of the ongoing phase 3 trial, which included 800 patients with biopsy-confirmed MASH and stage 2 or 3 fibrosis who received either weekly 2.4mg semaglutide injections or placebo for 72 weeks.
King's College London
NEJM
Results showed that 62.9% of patients in the semaglutide group experienced reduced liver inflammation without worsening fibrosis, compared to 34.3% in the placebo group. In comparison, 36.8% of those on semaglutide saw improved liver scarring without worsening steatohepatitis versus 22.4% on placebo.
NEJM
King's College London
Participants taking semaglutide also lost an average of 10.5% of their body weight compared to 2% in the placebo group, a difference study lead Dr. Arun Sanyal said was “no question” a main driver of the improvements recorded in the semaglutide test group.
NEJM
nytimes
According to estimates from the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy, around 22 million American adults live with MASH, which occurs when excess fat builds up in the liver, causing inflammation and scarring that can progress to cirrhosis, liver failure, and cancer if left untreated.
AMCP.org
Science News
Novo Nordisk plans to seek FDA approval for Wegovy to treat MASH by the end of 2025, with the company confirming in a release that the FDA granted the drug a “Priority Review” designation that would shorten the review period to six months instead of nine.
Financial Post
NBC
PR Newswire

Sources Split

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The Spin

Narrative A

This breakthrough offers hope for millions of people suffering from a disease with limited treatment options. By addressing both liver inflammation and scarring while tackling the underlying metabolic issues, semaglutide could prevent MASH from progressing to life-threatening conditions like cirrhosis and liver cancer. If approved by the FDA, it would change the treatment paradigm for MASH and possibly save countless lives.

PR Newswire

King's College London

Narrative B

While the results appear promising, important questions remain about the drug’s long-term effectiveness, how doctors would measure success, and how long patients would have to be treated. This is significant because MASH can be a lifelong condition, and these medications are not cheap. This is worth considering, as the improvements among those taking the placebo suggest lifestyle changes alone could help many patients.

Science News