Novo Nordisk (NVO) said Thursday that China's National Medical Products Administration has approved its Semaglutide injection to treat metabolic-associated steatohepatitis, according to a Google translation of its Chinese statement.
The company said that approval was based on results from its ESSENCE trial, which showed that 63% of patients treated with Semaglutide achieved MASH remission and no worsening of liver fibrosis, compared to 34% in the placebo group.
Novo also said that 37% of patients treated with semaglutide demonstrated improvements in liver fibrosis and no worsening of MASH, compared to 22% in the placebo group.
Treatment with the Smegglutide injection relieved liver inflammation in some patients and improved the "scar" tissue formed after long-term liver damage, the company added.