VCU research says drug can treat fatty liver disease

RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) -- With more than 40% of U.S. adults having been diagnosed with liver disease, Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) research suggests that there might be a way to treat fatty liver disease.

According to VCU, an international study from VCU's liver institute says that abundance typically found in Ozempic and Wegovy can potentially halt and even reverse a common liver disease.

With help from researchers Arun Sanyal, M.D., of the Stravitz-Sanyal Institute for Liver Disease and Metabolic Health, and Philip Newsome, Ph.D., of King’s College London, they believe there's a way to treat those with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis, or MASH, after reporting their findings in phase 3 clinical trial in this week’s New England Journal of Medicine. 

“The results from this landmark study across 37 countries 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,” said Sanyal, who is the lead author on the new paper and is also a professor of medicine at the VCU School of Medicine.

As about 50 million Americans have been diagnosed with MASH, which is a disease that sees fat build in the liver connected to obesity, type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure, VCU said there's only one treatment available for people that has been approved by the Federal Drug Administration (FDA). Researchers said that MASH can cause liver fibrosis, cirrhosis and liver failure.

“If approved, this could offer an additional therapeutic option for patients with MASH and fibrosis,” Sanyal added. “This is crucial, given the strong link between MASH and cardiovascular, metabolic, and renal conditions, where semaglutide has already shown established health benefits.” 

In a clinical trial featuring participants with moderate to advanced liver scarring, researchers saw that the drug, which reduced liver inflammation and scarring, improved less than the placebo group. The drug also helped those with weight loss and improved liver markers and overall heart health, and compared to those who were not taking it, it showed no major differences in serious side effects.

VCU said there is another part of this clinical trial, which will include nearly 1,200 participants from 37 countries for up to five years, collecting information and data on how the drug affects long-term liver problems.

Wegovy and Ozempic -- which are brand names for semaglutide -- are not approved to treat MASH in the U.S. Pharmaceutical maker Novo Nordisk plans to seek approval for semaglutide to treat liver disease sometime this year.

“The ESSENCE data may represent key findings for patients in the treatment of MASH, which is estimated to affect about one in 20 adults in the U.S.,” Sanyal said. “By treating both liver disease and its metabolic causes, semaglutide offers a promising new approach for millions of patients.”