A Research Study on How Semaglutide Works in People With Fatty Liver Disease and Liver Damage

Novo Nordisk

Status and phase: Completed; Phase 2

Conditions: Non-alcoholic Steatohepatitis

Treatments: Drug: Placebo (semaglutide); Drug: Semaglutide

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Industry

Identifiers

NCT03987451

U1111-1224-4062 (Other Identifier)

NN9931-4492

2018-004484-31 (Registry Identifier)

Details and patient eligibility

About

Semaglutide is a medicine studied in patients with non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), as it may improve liver damage. Participants will either get semaglutide or placebo (a dummy medicine) - which treatment participants get is decided by chance. The study will last for about 61 weeks in total. Participants will have 10 clinic visits and 3 phone calls with the study doctor or staff during the study. Some of the clinic visits may be spread over more days. Participants will need to inject themselves with medicine under the skin. Participants will have to do this once a week for 48 weeks. The study includes magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans of the liver, 1 or 2 liver tissue samples, ultrasound scans of the stomach and a possible examination of the food pipe. For some tests participants may need to remove some items of clothing. Participants will stop in the study if the doctor thinks that there are any risks for their health. The information collected from participants during the study may help them and other patients with NASH in the future. Women cannot take part if pregnant, breast-feeding or planning to become pregnant during the study period.

Enrollment: 71 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18 to 75 years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Male or female, aged 18-75 years (both inclusive) at the time of signing informed consent.
• Histologic evidence of NASH and fibrosis stage 4 according to the NASH CRN classification based on central pathologist evaluation of a liver biopsy obtained within 360 days prior to screening. In subjects who have never had a liver biopsy showing NASH and F4, liver stiffness above 14 kPa by FibroScan® at screening must be documented before subjects can have a trial-related liver biopsy
• A histological NAFLD activity score (NAS) equal to or above 3 with a score of 1 or more in lobular inflammation and hepatocyte ballooning based on central pathologist evaluation
• Body mass index equal to or above 27 kg/m^2

Exclusion criteria

• Presence or history of hepatic decompensation (e.g. ascites, variceal bleeding, hepatic encephalopathy or spontaneous bacterial peritonitis) or liver transplantation
• Presence or history of gastroesophageal varices within the past 360 days prior to screening. For subjects with no known history of gastroesophageal varices and with a Fibroscan® equal to or above 20 kPa and thrombocytes equal to or below 150,000, a esophagogastroduodenoscopy must be performed to evaluate presence of gastroesophageal varices
• Presence or history of hepatocellular carcinoma
• Treatment with vitamin E (at doses equal to or above 800 IU/day) or pioglitazone which has not been at a stable dose in the opinion of the investigator in the period from 90 days prior to screening
• Treatment with glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs) in the period from 90 days prior to screening
• Treatment with other glucose lowering agent(s) (apart from what is listed in the exclusion criterion above) or weight loss medication not stable in the opinion of the investigator in the period from 28 days prior to screening

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Quadruple Blind

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71 participants in 2 patient groups, including a placebo group

Semaglutide

Experimental group

Description:

Dose escalation to 2.4 mg of semaglutide once-weekly

Treatment:

Drug: Semaglutide

Placebo

Placebo Comparator group

Description:

Semaglutide placebo once-weekly

Treatment:

Drug: Placebo (semaglutide)