Ozempic shows promise in reversing liver disease, landmark global research finds
Pens for the diabetes drug Ozempic sit on a production line to be packaged at the Danish drugmaker Novo Nordisk's site in Hillerod, Denmark, September 26, 2023. PHOTO:REUTERS
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A major international clinical trial has found that Ozempic (semaglutide), a medication already widely used to manage type 2 diabetes and obesity, significantly improves outcomes in patients with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH), a severe form of fatty liver disease.
Published in the New England Journal of Medicine, the Phase III ESSENCE trial marks the first regulatory-level study to demonstrate that a treatment can halt and potentially reverse liver damage caused by MASH.
The study, conducted across 253 sites in 37 countries, was led by Professor Philip Newsome of King's College London and Professor Arun Sanyal of Virginia Commonwealth University.
Over 800 participants received weekly injections of 2.4 mg of Ozempic or a placebo for 72 weeks, alongside lifestyle counseling.
Results showed that 62.9% of patients on Ozempic saw a reduction in liver inflammation, compared to 34.3% on placebo.
Additionally, 36.8% of those treated with Ozempic experienced improvement in liver fibrosis versus 22.4% of the placebo group.
The study population included a high percentage of individuals with obesity (around 75%) and type 2 diabetes (over 50%).
Patients taking Ozempic also saw significant weight loss and improvements in liver enzymes.
However, gastrointestinal side effects such as nausea and diarrhea were more common in the treatment group.
MASLD, the broader condition that includes MASH, affects one in five people in the UK.
Currently, no medications are licensed to specifically treat it.
The research team plans to monitor 1,200 patients over five years to assess long-term benefits and safety of Ozempic in liver disease treatment.
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