Plainsboro, New Jersey, USA, and Bagsværd, Denmark, November 6, 2026
Novo Nordisk has announced new real-world clinical findings showing that Wegovy® (semaglutide) 2.4 mg once-weekly injection was associated with improvements in liver enzymes, body weight and blood sugar levels in adults with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH). The findings were presented at the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD) The Liver Meeting® 2026 in Denver, Colorado. The announcement highlights results from two retrospective observational studies, PLATINUM-Truveta and RHODIUM-2, which evaluated the relationship between semaglutide treatment and liver-related and cardiometabolic outcomes. In the comparative PLATINUM-Truveta study, semaglutide demonstrated significantly greater weight reduction and improvements in certain liver and metabolic markers compared with resmetirom at six months. Additional findings from RHODIUM-2 showed that patients initiating semaglutide experienced greater reductions in liver enzymes and body weight over 12 months compared with patients who did not initiate the treatment. These real-world findings provide additional evidence supporting the investigation of semaglutide in patients with MASH, a progressive liver disease associated with obesity, insulin resistance and metabolic dysfunction.
PLATINUM-Truveta Study Shows Improvements Compared With Resmetirom
The PLATINUM-Truveta study evaluated real-world outcomes among 2,873 adults with MASH who initiated semaglutide 2.4 mg and 2,285 adults who initiated resmetirom. Researchers assessed changes in liver enzymes, body weight and cardiometabolic indicators at three and six months using de-identified electronic medical records from 30 healthcare systems across the United States. At six months, patients receiving semaglutide experienced a mean body-weight reduction of 18.9 pounds (8.6 kg), compared with 5.6 pounds in patients receiving resmetirom. The adjusted between-group difference was statistically significant. Semaglutide treatment was also associated with a greater reduction in aspartate aminotransferase (AST), an important liver enzyme used to assess liver health. AST decreased by 10.4 U/L in the semaglutide group compared with 4.5 U/L in the resmetirom group. The study also reported a significantly greater reduction in glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), with a decrease of 0.38 percentage points among semaglutide recipients compared with 0.08 percentage points among resmetirom recipients. These findings suggest potential advantages across multiple metabolic indicators. However, the comparative analysis was observational and does not establish that semaglutide directly caused the differences in outcomes.
RHODIUM-2 Highlights 12-Month Liver and Weight Outcomes
The second analysis, RHODIUM-2, compared 2,479 adults with MASH who initiated semaglutide 2.4 mg against 70,702 adults who did not initiate semaglutide. The study evaluated changes in liver enzymes, body weight and HbA1c over 12 months. Results showed that patients initiating semaglutide experienced a mean body-weight reduction of 30.7 pounds, compared with 2.4 pounds among those who did not initiate treatment. The adjusted difference between the groups was 28.4 pounds and statistically significant. Liver enzyme improvements were also observed. Alanine aminotransferase (ALT) decreased by 14.0 U/L in the semaglutide group compared with 3.8 U/L in the comparison group. Similarly, AST declined by 9.1 U/L compared with 1.8 U/L, respectively. HbA1c decreased by 0.46 percentage points among semaglutide initiators, compared with 0.09 percentage points among those not initiating treatment. Additional exploratory findings among patients with elevated baseline ALT showed greater reductions in both ALT and AST. The 12-month findings provide further real-world evidence of improvements in weight and biochemical markers associated with semaglutide treatment.
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Novo Nordisk Advances MASH Treatment Research
MASH is a progressive form of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease characterized by liver inflammation and hepatocellular injury, which can lead to fibrosis, cirrhosis and liver-related complications. The condition frequently occurs alongside obesity, type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease, creating substantial healthcare challenges. Novo Nordisk continues to investigate semaglutide 2.4 mg in the ongoing Phase 3 ESSENCE clinical trial, evaluating its effects in adults with MASH and moderate-to-advanced liver fibrosis. Semaglutide is a glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist that regulates appetite, food intake and glucose metabolism. In the United States, semaglutide 2.4 mg injection has received accelerated FDA approval for eligible adults with MASH and moderate-to-advanced liver fibrosis without cirrhosis, alongside reduced-calorie nutrition and increased physical activity. Continued approval for this indication may depend on confirmation of clinical benefit in additional studies. Novo Nordisk emphasized that the new observational findings complement existing clinical research by providing insights into treatment outcomes in routine healthcare settings. Nevertheless, both PLATINUM-Truveta and RHODIUM-2 were retrospective observational studies, meaning their findings demonstrate associations rather than definitive cause-and-effect relationships.
Overall, Novo Nordisk’s latest real-world findings strengthen the clinical evidence supporting semaglutide research in metabolic liver disease. The observed improvements in body weight, liver enzymes and blood sugar levels highlight the potential importance of metabolic treatment strategies in MASH management. Further controlled clinical research will help establish the long-term benefits and clinical significance of these findings.
Source: Novo Nordisk press release
