A new clinical trial result suggests that the obesity drug 'Wegovy' (ingredient name semaglutide) from Denmark's Novo Nordisk can improve metabolic dysfunction-associated steatoh Hepatitis (MASH) with just a weekly injection.
A joint research team from King's College London (KCL) in the UK and Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) in the U.S. noted, "The results confirmed that when semaglutide was administered weekly to MASH patients, liver inflammation and fibrosis symptoms improved significantly," and published in the international journal 'The New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM)' on the 30th (local time).
This clinical trial was conducted on a total of 1,195 MASH patients across 253 medical institutions in 37 countries. The average age of participants was 56 years, and the average body mass index (BMI) was 34.6, which is classified as obese by the World Health Organization (WHO) as being over 30 kg/m². About half of them also had type 2 diabetes. They received Wegovy once a week for approximately four and a half years.
The newly released interim analysis is based on liver biopsy results from 800 participants. In the group that received Wegovy once a week, 62.9% showed a significant reduction in steatohepatitis, and fibrosis improved from 36.8%. In contrast, the control group reported only 34.3% and 22.4%, respectively. The percentage of patients who improved in both steatohepatitis and fibrosis was 33.1% for Wegovy, while it was 16.1% for the control group.
Metabolism refers to the process by which the body breaks down nutrients to obtain energy and expel waste products. MASH was previously known as non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) until last year when the Global Liver Conference officially changed its name to MASH to emphasize metabolic factors. MASH is a disease characterized by the accumulation of fat caused by metabolic dysfunction, accompanied by inflammation and liver damage, which can lead to liver fibrosis and liver cancer.
Half of MASH patients suffer from obesity. GLP-1 class drugs are already proven to reduce weight and prevent cardiovascular diseases, and if their efficacy in improving liver fibrosis is confirmed, they are expected to become competitive treatment options for MASH.
The effectiveness of Wegovy in improving MASH has already been reported in some small-scale studies. In 2020, the same research team administered Wegovy daily to 320 patients and found a 59% reduction in steatohepatitis. However, the weekly administration method did not show consistent effects. This time, administering the same dosage (2.4 mg) used for obesity treatment once a week has resulted in similar or better effects, confirmed for the first time.
The researchers expect that beyond simple weight loss, GLP-1 may play a role in reducing inflammation by acting on immune cells. Professor Philip Newsome of KCL, who led the study, evaluated, "Although nothing is yet proven, if GLP-1 drugs can modulate immune responses to reduce inflammation, they could be foundational for MASH treatment."
However, additional research is needed to determine whether this result indicates a direct effect on MASH treatment or an indirect effect resulting from weight loss. In fact, patients treated with Wegovy lost an average of 10.5% of their body weight, while the placebo group only lost 2%. This clinical trial was conducted with the support of Novo Nordisk.
References
The New England Journal of Medicine(2025), DOI: www.doi.org/10.1056/NEJMoa2413258