Novo Nordisk (NYSE: NVO) presented a post hoc analysis from a sub-population of its STEP UP trial showing that Wegovy reduced liver fat in adults with obesity who do not have diabetes, according to data presented at the European Association for the Study of Diabetes Annual Meeting in Milan, Italy.

The analysis included 55 participants and measured liver fat using magnetic resonance imaging. Mean liver fat in the semaglutide group declined from 8.8% at baseline to 3.1% at week 72. Of the 26 participants who began the trial with liver fat above 5%, 88.5%, or 23 participants, reached below the 5% threshold by week 72.

The broader pooled analysis drew from 1,919 adults across STEP UP and STEP UP T2D trials. Of those, 1,312 received semaglutide 7.2 mg, 304 received semaglutide 2.4 mg, and 303 received placebo. At baseline, more than 94% of participants across all groups were classified as high risk for fatty liver by the Fatty Liver Index.

"This analysis showed that semaglutide reduced liver fat and was linked to better overall liver health in adults with obesity," said Eric Lawitz, MD, of the Texas Liver Institute and University of Texas Health San Antonio.

Wegovy is currently approved for the treatment of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis, known as MASH, in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, China, and several other markets. Semaglutide 7.2 mg is not being investigated for MASH treatment.