Using semaglutide injections, scientists were able to reverse life-threatening cases of liver disease in a new clinical trial published in The New England Journal of Medicine.
Semaglutide, which is traditionally a treatment for type 2 diabetes, was given to participants who had been diagnosed with a life-threatening form of liver disease called metabolic dysfunction associated steatohepatitis (MASH).
"This is a major step forward in the field," said Arun Sanyal, M.D., director of the VCU Stravitz-Sanyal Institute for Liver Disease and Metabolic Health, in a video from VCU. "It provides patients with additional choices when we think about treating fatty liver disease."
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MASH is a severe form of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), which was previously known as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, according to WebMD.
Both MASH and MASLD are marked by excessive fat in the liver, which can be dangerous.
"Over time, the buildup of fat in the liver can lead to inflammation, liver fibrosis, cirrhosis and liver cancer," stated a press release about the study.
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Researchers chose to investigate semaglutide as a potential treatment because this class of drug has previously been shown to reduce fat and liver scarring for people with MASH.
Between 2021 and 2023, 800 randomly selected participants across 37 countries received once-weekly injections of either semaglutide or a placebo, the press release stated. More than half had type 2 diabetes and around 75% were obese.
After 72 weeks of treatment, 62.9% of participants had less inflammation and fat accumulation in their livers.
In the placebo group, only 34.3% of participants experienced a decrease in symptoms.
"The liver actually starts looking substantially better under the microscope in these patients," noted Sanyal.
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The researchers also found that 36.8% of the semaglutide group saw improvements in their liver fibrosis, versus 22.4% in the placebo group.
Participants treated with semaglutide also saw improvements in liver enzymes and blood measures of liver fibrosis, as well as 10.5% weight loss.
Some adverse experiences were more common in the semaglutide group, including nausea, diarrhea, constipation and vomiting.
"Novo Nordisk continues to explore semaglutide across metabolic and cardiovascular health, including MASH, a condition with limited treatment options for patients and healthcare professionals," said Anna Windle, PhD, senior vice president of clinical development, medical and regulatory affairs at Novo Nordisk, maker of Ozempic and Wegovy, in a press release provided to Fox News Digital.
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"We are encouraged by these published findings in the NEJM and what this could mean for patients. Based on these data, we look forward to working with regulatory authorities to bring this potential new treatment option to patients."
"While these results must be treated with caution, the analysis shows semaglutide can be an effective tool to treat this advanced liver disease," said lead researcher Professor Philip Newsome, director of the Roger Williams Institute of Liver Studies at King's College London, in the release.
"I've been working with GLP-1 treatments for 16 years and these results are hugely exciting," he added.
Sanyal noted that semaglutide had previously been shown to be beneficial for obesity, diabetes and heart disease.
"Now we can add liver disease to that list."
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Looking ahead, the research team plans to gather data from nearly 1,200 participants in 37 countries for up to five years to determine semaglutide's impact on long-term liver complications.