Weight loss drugs may reverse signs of fatty liver disease, study finds

A new study published in the New England Journal of Medicine reveals that medications widely used for diabetes and obesity may offer significant benefits for patients with liver disease, adding to the growing list of potential applications for these popular drugs.

The research focused on semaglutide, known by brand names such as Wegovy and Ozempic, showing it can effectively treat metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis — known as MASH — which is a fatty liver condition related to obesity or diabetes. The study followed approximately 800 patients for up to 72 weeks, documenting significant improvements in liver health among those receiving semaglutide treatment.

“Almost two-thirds of people had a reduction in liver inflammation related to this fatty liver condition, and over a third had a reduction in liver scarring,” said Dr. Celine Gounder, CBS News medical contributor and editor-at-large for public health at KFF Health News. MASH can cause liver scarring, cirrhosis, liver failure or cancer, Gounder said.

“The life-threatening consequences can be very real,” she said.

An estimated 17 million Americans have MASH, representing about one in five adults who have fat infiltration of the liver, Dr. Zobair M. Younossi of the Center for Outcomes Research in Liver Diseases, told CBS News.

“This is something we can be giving that will prevent these longer-term consequences,” she said. 

The side effects remain consistent with those already known for semaglutide treatments: nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, constipation and weight loss.

While the results appear promising, Gounder cautioned that longer-term studies are needed. “Seventy-two weeks, that’s not very long,” she said.

Last year, the FDA approved Rezdiffra (resmetirom), the first and only medication approved so far for the treatment of MASH.

Editor’s note: This story has been updated with information about the current treatment option.