NEJM Points to a Breakthrough for Semaglutide in MASH

Late yesterday, the New England Journal of Medicine published interim results from a study that points to another breakthrough for semaglutide – this time for a MASH indication. The analysis includes 800 patients with MASH with an average BMI of 34.5. Only 22 patients in this trial had a BMI that indicated leanness.

Nearly two thirds of patients receiving 2.4 mg of semaglutide weekly had a resolution of their liver inflammation and no worsening of the fibrosis that comes with this disease. That’s 85% better than the odds of resolution for patients receiving placebo.

Philip Newsome, a lead investigator in this study, expressed excitement for these results:

“I’ve been working with GLP-1 treatments for sixteen years and these results are hugely exciting. MASLD is a growing problem worldwide and this trial will provide real hope for patients with MASH. While these results must be treated with caution, the analysis shows semaglutide can be an effective tool to treat this advanced liver disease.”

A New Indication in the Works

With the publication of these results, Novo Nordisk announced that FDA has accepted its application for an indication to treat MASH with semaglutide 2.4 mg. On top of that, the agency accepted it for priority review status. That means the review will be complete within six months because this indication represents a significant advance.

Yes, this is good news. It’s doubly good because adding liver disease to the growing list of complications that a highly effective obesity treatment can resolve serves to chip away at the lame excuses for health insurance to deny coverage.

With every new indication for semaglutide, it becomes ever more clear that effectively treating obesity can prevent a whole host of its complications.

Click here for the study in NEJM, here, here, and here for further perspective.

New Moon, New York, painting by George Ault / WikiArt

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May 1, 2025