Global pharma powerhouse Novo Nordisk is bringing renewed urgency to one of the world’s most overlooked liver diseases at the European Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL) Annual Congress 2026 in Barcelona.
This, by unveiling major new data that could reshape the future of treatment for metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH).
Despite affecting an estimated 250 million people worldwide, MASH remains dangerously underdiagnosed and undertreated, with nearly 90% of cases going undetected.
The progressive liver disease — linked closely to obesity, type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome — can lead to cirrhosis, liver failure and liver cancer, and has become one of the leading drivers of liver transplantation in the Western world.
At the centre of Novo Nordisk’s presentations is semaglutide 2.4 mg, the company’s GLP-1 receptor agonist, which previously showed significant reductions in liver inflammation and fibrosis in patients enrolled in the landmark ESSENCE Phase 3 programme.
Now, fresh analyses presented across multiple EASL sessions are expanding the evidence base and targeting patient groups long overlooked in liver disease research.
One of the headline studies, the ESSENCE Liver Safety analysis, demonstrated a favourable hepatic safety profile for semaglutide 2.4 mg across patient populations — a critical finding for physicians treating patients with already compromised liver function.
Another key analysis focused on menopausal women, a group known to face accelerated liver disease progression due to hormonal changes but historically underrepresented in clinical trials. Novo Nordisk said the subgroup findings provide much-needed targeted evidence for this vulnerable population.
A third analysis extended the treatment evidence to Japanese patients, highlighting the growing global relevance of MASH as rates rise across Asia, often at lower body weight thresholds and with distinct metabolic and genetic risk patterns.
“The science we are sharing this week moves us closer to a future where MASH is caught early, treated effectively, and is no longer overlooked. That is what drives us — the people behind these numbers and their unmet needs,” said David Ørsted, vice president, Global Medical Affairs Obesity & MASH at Novo Nordisk.
“Our clinical data presented at EASL 2026, led by semaglutide, reflect our continued commitment to ensuring that people living with MASH receive timely evidence-based care. A commitment that no patient should fall through the cracks; that women going through menopause deserve evidence-based care for their liver, and that patients in Japan, in the UK, in Germany and across the world deserve access to treatments that work for them.”
The spotlight on MASH comes amid mounting concern among health experts over the scale of the disease and the lack of awareness surrounding it. More than one in three people living with overweight or obesity are estimated to also have MASH, while over 40% of patients have type 2 diabetes. Cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of death among patients with the condition.
Novo Nordisk is also supporting the “Love Your Liver” initiative during the EASL Congress, offering education and on-site MASH testing aimed at improving awareness and earlier diagnosis.
With no approved pharmacological treatments available until recently, researchers say the latest findings could mark a turning point in the fight against a disease that has quietly become a global public health crisis.
