FDA Approves Wegovy to Treat Serious Liver Disease

WEDNESDAY, Aug. 20, 2025 (HealthDay News) — The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Novo Nordisk’s popular weight-loss drug Wegovy to treat a serious form of fatty liver disease.

The approval makes Wegovy the only GLP-1 therapy cleared to treat adults with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH) and moderate to advanced liver fibrosis. About 14.9 million U.S. adults — or roughly 6% of the population — have the condition, according to the FDA.

“Wegovy is now uniquely positioned as the first and only GLP-1 treatment approved for MASH, complementing the already proven weight loss, cardiovascular benefits and extensive body of evidence linked to semaglutide,” Dr. Martin Holst Lange, Novo Nordisk’s chief scientific officer and head of research and development, told The Wall Street Journal.

Wegovy is best known as a once-weekly injection used for weight loss, but clinical trials have shown it may benefit people with other serious health conditions.

The FDA has also approved the drug to lower the risk of cardiovascular events, like heart attacks, in high-risk patients, The Wall Street Journal said.

Novo Nordisk’s sister drug Ozempic, which shares the same active ingredient — semaglutide — is already approved for diabetes.

The FDA decision was based on results from a late-stage clinical trial showing Wegovy’s effectiveness in treating MASH.

Novo Nordisk said it is using the same data in applications for approval in the European Union and Japan.

MASH, previously known as NASH, occurs when fat builds up in the liver and causes inflammation and scarring. If left untreated, it can lead to liver failure or cancer, The Cleveland Clinic says.

More information

The Cleveland Clinic has more on MASH.

SOURCE: The Wall Street Journal, Aug. 18, 2025