Weight-Loss Drug Semaglutide Shows Promise In Reversing Liver Disease, Study Finds

A popular diabetes and weight loss medication may offer new hope to patients suffering from liver disease.

According to a new study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, semaglutide — already widely prescribed under brand names like Wegovy and Ozempic — appears to significantly improve liver health in individuals with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH), a progressive and potentially serious liver condition.

MASH, which involves fat buildup, chronic inflammation, and scarring of the liver, has long posed a treatment challenge. However, the new multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, sponsored by drugmaker Novo Nordisk, suggests that semaglutide may be able to reverse some of the diseases damaging effects.

The study enrolled 1,197 patients diagnosed via biopsy with MASH and fibrosis stage 2 or 3. Participants received either a placebo or 2.4 mg of semaglutide administered weekly for a planned total of 240 weeks. Preliminary results reported after 72 weeks, involving data from the first 800 patients, have drawn attention from the medical community.

According to obesity medicine expert Dr. Dyan Hes, a Diplomate of the American Board of Obesity Medicine (ABOM) who was not involved in the trial, the early outcomes are “extremely promising.”

“Steatohepatitis resolved, without worsening of fibrosis, in 62.9% of the 534 patients in the semaglutide group,” said Hes, Medical Director at Highline Modern Medicine. “A reduction in liver fibrosis without worsening of steatohepatitis was reported in 36.8% of the semaglutide group.”

While researchers are still unclear on how semaglutide reduced liver scarring, the drug’s impact is notable. Patients treated with semaglutide also lost an average of 10.5% of their body weight — a significant reduction that likely played a role in improving liver health.

“This study shows that there will be a lot more beneficial health outcomes from the ripple effect of semaglutide and other GLP-1 agonists,” Hes said. “So far we know that they help treat diabetes, cardiovascular disease, renal disease, and there are studies now to see if they help prevent or improve Alzheimers disease.”

While additional research will be needed to confirm long-term results, the findings provide new optimism for those with MASH, for whom few effective treatments currently exist.

Semaglutides expanding therapeutic potential is being closely watched, particularly given the rising prevalence of obesity-related conditions in the U.S. and globally.