Semaglutide, ozempic, and wegovy could reverse a common liver disease.

An international study has shown that semaglutide , the compound found in popular drugs such as Ozempic and Wegov, can not only stop but even reverse liver damage caused by a silent disease that affects millions of people worldwide.

The research, published in the prestigious journal ' The New England Journal of Medicine ', was led by experts from Virginia Commonwealth University in the US and King's College London .

Based on their results, this drug could become the first effective option for treating MASH (metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis), a liver disease linked to obesity, type 2 diabetes, and other metabolic problems.

MASH occurs when fat accumulates in the liver, causing inflammation and scarring. Over time, it can progress to cirrhosis or even liver cancer. Until now, there was no approved treatment specifically for it.

This clinical trial involved 800 people from 37 countries. Most of them had obesity or type 2 diabetes.

For 72 weeks, participants received a weekly injection of semaglutide or a placebo, in addition to lifestyle counseling.

The results were very promising.

About 63% of those receiving semaglutide had reduced liver inflammation without worsening scarring (fibrosis).

Thirty-seven percent even showed improvement in liver scarring. They also lost weight, improved their liver enzyme levels, and saw improvements in their cardiovascular health.

Furthermore, side effects were mostly mild, such as nausea or digestive discomfort, and more than 90% of participants continued treatment until the end of the study.

The study's authors, Arun Sanyal and Philip Newsome , emphasize that this finding opens a new avenue for treating a liver disease that is on the rise and for which there are few therapeutic options.

Although semaglutide is not yet approved for this use, the pharmaceutical company that manufactures it, Novo Nordisk , has already announced that it will request authorization for its use in the treatment of MASH.

The study will now continue with a second phase, in which more than 1,000 patients will be followed for five years to determine whether the benefits of this treatment are maintained long-term.

These results confirm something scientists already suspected: that by treating not only the liver, but also the metabolic factors that affect it, the course of diseases previously considered irreversible can be reversed.

Once again, a drug intended for one purpose—in this case, diabetes and obesity—could end up being useful for another, changing the lives of millions of people.