Novo Nordisk (NYSE:NVO) presented a post hoc analysis from a subgroup of its STEP UP trial showing reductions in liver fat among adults with obesity who did not have diabetes following treatment with Wegovy.
The data were presented at the European Association for the Study of Diabetes Annual Meeting in Milan, Italy.
The analysis included 55 participants and assessed liver fat using magnetic resonance imaging. Among participants receiving semaglutide, mean liver fat declined from 8.8% at baseline to 3.1% at week 72.
Of the 26 participants who entered the trial with liver fat levels above 5%, 23, or 88.5%, recorded levels below the 5% threshold by week 72.
Broader Analysis Includes 1,919 Participants
A separate pooled analysis included 1,919 adults from the STEP UP and STEP UP T2D trials.
Of those participants, 1,312 received semaglutide 7.2 mg, 304 received semaglutide 2.4 mg and 303 received placebo.
At baseline, more than 94% of participants across all treatment groups were classified as being at high risk for fatty liver according to the Fatty Liver Index.
“This analysis showed that semaglutide reduced liver fat and was linked to better overall liver health in adults with obesity,” said Eric Lawitz, MD, of the Texas Liver Institute and University of Texas Health San Antonio.
The findings are based on a post hoc subgroup analysis and therefore should be interpreted within the context of the study design rather than as results from a trial specifically designed around liver-fat outcomes.
Wegovy Already Approved for MASH in Several Markets
Wegovy is currently approved for the treatment of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis, or MASH, in markets including the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and China.
Novo Nordisk noted that the 7.2 mg dose of semaglutide evaluated in the broader STEP UP programme is not being investigated as a treatment for MASH.