Camilla Jessen
Known for weight loss, Wegovy and Ozempic are now showing promising results against MASH—a serious liver disease with no approved treatment.
Semaglutide, the active ingredient in the weight loss drugs Wegovy and Ozempic, may offer benefits far beyond weight management.
New research suggests the drug could help treat a serious liver condition for which no approved therapies currently exist in the European Union.
The condition is known as MASH (metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis). It is a progressive liver disease caused by fat buildup, inflammation, and scarring.
MASH typically develops quietly—starting with weight gain, fatigue, and abnormal blood work—and can lead to serious liver damage if untreated.
Now, a large clinical trial has shown that semaglutide may help reverse some of this damage.
Reduced Liver Inflammation and Scarring
In a trial involving 800 participants diagnosed with MASH and moderate to severe liver fibrosis, weekly injections of semaglutide over 72 weeks produced significant results:
- 1 in 3 participants showed improvements in both liver inflammation and scarring.
- 63% experienced reduced liver inflammation.
- 37% saw a decrease in liver scarring.
- Participants also lost an average of 10.5% of their body weight.
Compared to a placebo group that received only lifestyle counseling, the semaglutide group saw considerably better outcomes. Researchers also noted some improvement in the placebo group.
The findings were reported by Euronews.
Hope Comes with Caution
Despite the encouraging data, researchers emphasize that the drug is not a cure and caution against over-interpretation of the findings.
Most trial participants were living with obesity or type 2 diabetes—conditions where semaglutide is already known to be effective. Whether the same results can be replicated in people without these risk factors remains to be seen.
Side effects were also a concern.
A number of participants experienced gastrointestinal issues, including nausea and vomiting. Some withdrew from the study due to discomfort.
Experts also warn that results from a controlled trial may not fully translate to real-world settings, where patients may not receive the same level of follow-up or medical supervision.
Further research is underway to evaluate its effectiveness in broader patient groups and to better understand its long-term impact.