New Superpower of Ozempic, Wegovy: Reversing Liver Disease

Experts exploring what other conditions semaglutide, the active ingredient in Wegovy and Ozempic, might help apart from diabetes and weight loss say the results of a Phase 3 clinical trial suggest it may reverse a common liver disease. Some 15 million US adults have metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH), an advanced form of fatty liver disease in which too much fat is stored in the liver, causing inflammation, cell damage, and scarring, per the New York Times. Many sufferers require liver transplants. The study, published Wednesday in the New England Journal of Medicine, looked at 800 mostly white patients with moderate or advanced levels of liver scarring. The majority had Type 2 diabetes and almost 75% were obese.

Among participants who received semaglutide injections over 72 weeks, almost 63% saw the fat and inflammation in their livers disappear with no worse scarring, compared to around 34% of participants who received a placebo, and almost 37% saw less scar tissue with no worse inflammation or fat buildup, compared to around 22% among the placebo group. Ozempic and Wegovy maker Novo Nordisk, sponsor of the trial, is asking the FDA to approve Wegovy as a treatment for MASH, with a decision expected as early as late this year. There's only one FDA-approved treatment for the disease, and it only helps about 25% of patients, a doctor tells NBC News.

Eli Lilly, maker of competitor drugs Mounjaro and Zepbound with the active ingredient tirzepatide, has also found early promise in its studies testing tirzepatide as a MASH treatment. While it's possible semaglutide reduces inflammation in the liver, study author Dr. Arun Sanyal of Virginia Commonwealth University says weight loss was a key driver of change in this trial. Participants in the semaglutide group lost 11% of their body weight on average, compared to 2% with the placebo group, and had lower blood sugar and insulin resistance, which likely contributed to better liver outcomes, per the Times. Participants in both the semaglutide and placebo groups also received nutrition and exercise counseling. (More semaglutide stories.)