Novo Nordisk reports Wegovy liver fat analysis

• Novo Nordisk (NYSE:NVO) reported exploratory STEP UP trial analyses showing Wegovy reduced liver fat in adults with obesity without diabetes.
• In a 55-participant subgroup, average liver fat declined from 8.8% to 3.1% after 72 weeks of treatment with pooled semaglutide doses.
• The analysis was post hoc, meaning liver fat outcomes were evaluated after the trials rather than as pre-specified endpoints.

Novo Nordisk (NYSE:NVO) presented exploratory analyses from the STEP UP program showing that Wegovy (semaglutide) was associated with reductions in liver fat among adults with obesity who did not have diabetes.

In a subgroup of 55 participants receiving pooled injectable semaglutide 7.2 mg and 2.4 mg doses, mean liver fat decreased from 8.8% at baseline to 3.1% at week 72.

Among 26 participants who began the study with liver fat levels above 5%, 23 participants (88.5%) reached levels considered normal, below 5%, after treatment.

The broader analysis included 1,919 adults from STEP UP and STEP UP T2D trials.

Novo Nordisk noted that the liver measurements were not pre-specified primary or secondary endpoints and the analysis was conducted after completion of the trials.

Novo Nordisk also reported that fewer than 1% of participants met criteria for advanced liver-scarring risk at baseline.

Semaglutide 2.4 mg is approved for metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH), an inflammatory fatty liver disease, in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, China and other markets. The 7.2 mg dose is not being investigated for MASH.

Novo Nordisk expects part two results from its separate ESSENCE MASH trial in 2029.