06/08/2026
A new study involving a VCU hepatologist shows that the experimental weight loss drug survodutide helps people lose significant weight and shed large amounts of fat from their livers.
84% of those in the study who were given survodutide were able to reduce their liver fat by at least 30%, while only 24% of those given the placebo had the same outcomes. Additionally, 61% of those using survodutide reduced the amount of fat in their liver to a normal level.
Scarring occurs when fat builds up in the liver, inflaming the tissue. As it progresses, it leads to metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD). Over time, it can result in cirrhosis and even liver failure, requiring a liver transplant. It is also linked to cardiovascular and metabolic diseases.
The study's senior author, our director Dr. Arun Sanyal, said: “This trial demonstrates the potential benefits of survodutide even in those with earlier stages of MASLD, which commonly occurs in those with obesity. It builds on prior demonstration of benefit in those with more advanced scarring of the liver due to MASLD. Together they provide evidence that survodutide can improve MASLD along its entire spectrum of severity."
Worldwide, about 1 in 3 people have MASLD, making it a major public health concern. Only two drugs in the United States — resmetirom and Wegovy — are approved to treat it. The paper was published by Nature Medicine.
An experimental weight loss drug helped people lose significant weight and shed large amounts of fat from their livers, according to newly published research by a team of international experts, including a Virginia Commonwealth University hepatologist.
