A study from the New England Journal of Medicine found new evidence that GLP-1 drugs used for diabetes and obesity could also help people with a type of liver disease. CBS News contributor Dr. Celine Gounder explains the findings.

A recent study published in the New England Journal of Medicine has revealed promising results for the use of GLP-1 drugs in treating a type of liver disease associated with diabetes and obesity. These medications, often known by their brand names, such as Wigovi and Ozempic, contain the active ingredient semaglutide. They are already widely used for managing diabetes and aiding in weight loss. In a study of 800 participants who underwent treatment with semaglutide for up to 72 weeks, researchers observed a reduction in liver inflammation in nearly two-thirds of the subjects. Furthermore, more than a third of participants experienced a reduction in liver scarring, a significant advancement given that this condition, metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH), lacks an FDA-approved treatment. 

MASH is often related to obesity or diabetes and is a particularly concerning condition because of its potential to lead to severe liver issues, such as cirrhosis, liver failure, or even cancer. The findings of this study are considered a significant breakthrough as it provides a potential new therapeutic option for the estimated 17 million Americans affected by this disease. While side effects of the medications include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and constipation, the positive impacts on liver health may outweigh these negatives. However, more long-term studies are required to fully understand the benefits and risks of using these drugs for this particular liver condition.



Diabetes, weight loss drugs could help treat type of liver disease

In today's Health Watch, there's new evidence that drugs used by millions to treat diabetes and obesity could now also help people with liver disease. What? A study in the New England Journal of Medicine is another possible success story for these drugs that are made with semi-glutide. CBS News medical contributor Dr. Selene Gounder is editor-at-large for Public Health at KFF Health News and joins us to sort it all out. I'm still waiting for the downside of these drugs, but now liver condition. What does the evidence show? So semi-glutide, which you may know by the brand names Wigovi, Ozempic, treats, we're learning a condition known as metabolic dysfunction associated steatohepatitis. So that's a mouthful. Is that English? Basically mash for short, but what that basically means is fatty liver related to either obesity or diabetes. And in a study in which 800 people were followed up to 72 weeks with treatment with semi-glutide, they found that almost two-thirds of people had a reduction in liver inflammation related to this fatty liver condition. And over a third had a reduction in liver scarring, which is one of the complications of mash. You can get liver scarring, cirrhosis, liver failure, cancer. So the life-threatening consequences can be very real. But you say this is a big deal. Why for these patients in particular? Well, it's a big deal because up until now, we haven't had a specific FDA approved treatment for this condition. It's estimated about 17 million Americans have mash, or again, this fatty liver disease. One in five adults who have this kind of fat infiltration of the liver. And so this is something we can be giving that will prevent these longer-term consequences, the damage to the liver. Side effects are? Well, it's the side effects you have with Ozempic and Wigoby, right? So it's nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, constipation, weight loss, of course. But it seems like these drugs seem to be working. I keep thinking, what is the downside for people? It seems to do, it seems a positive far outweighs a negative. Is that true? Remains to be seen. 72 weeks. That's not very long. All right. All right. Celine Gounder, always good to have you here. Thank you so much.

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