Malaga doctors find in Ozempic ally against fatty liver disease

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The head of the digestive system unit at the El Clínico hospital says that semaglutide, which doctors use to combat diabetes and obesity, has also shown "effectiveness" in this area

José Antonio Sau

Tuesday, 21 April 2026, 11:00 | Updated 11:22h.

Doctors primarily prescribe semaglutide, known by its brand names Ozempic and Wegovy, to treat diabetes, hypertension or dyslipidemia (excess fats in the blood such as high cholesterol or triglycerides). It is also effective in helping patients lose weight when they have a body mass index (BMI) over 30.

Ozempic has now also become an unexpected ally for hepatologists in the fight against the "silent epidemic" of fatty liver disease - a condition that, according to head of the digestive system unit at the El Clínico hospital in Malaga Dr Andrade, affects between 30 and 40 per cent of the population in Malaga province.

"Semaglutide, a GLP-1 analogue, is very well-known. Some people buy it at the pharmacy to lose weight. This drug has also shown efficacy in improving fatty liver," Dr Andrade says. "I expect that it will soon be available for this condition too," he states.

Metabolic cleanser

Ozempic helps the liver by acting as a metabolic "cleanser": it improves diabetes control and reduces the patient's weight, which then prevents the body from sending excess fat to the liver and forces it to use its existing fat reserves. This process resolves steatohepatitis, meaning the liver is no longer inflamed and "flooded" with fat, allowing the organ to recover its normal function before the damage becomes irreversible. It helps slow the progression of fatty liver disease and, in some cases, even reverses it.

Dr Andrade also mentions another drug that has shown efficacy against fatty liver disease in research: Resmetirom (the active ingredient), not yet available in Spain, but already approved by European health authorities. "These medications have shown great effectiveness in slowing the disease and even reversing fibrosis (scarring of the liver) in patients with metabolic fatty liver disease."

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