MHRA approves Wegovy for liver disease

The UK's Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) said on July 3, 2026, that it approved semaglutide, sold as Wegovy, to treat metabolic-associated steatohepatitis (MASH) in adults who have moderate-to-advanced liver fibrosis, or scarring ^[1]. Semaglutide already had UK authorizations for weight management and for lowering the risk of cardiovascular events ^[1].

MASH occurs when excess fat builds up in the liver, causing inflammation and scarring over time. People are more likely to develop it if they have obesity, type 2 diabetes, or high blood lipid levels, according to the MHRA ^[1]. Julian Beach, the agency's Executive Director of Healthcare Quality and Access, said the evidence shows semaglutide is "a safe and effective treatment option for patients with MASH," and stressed it remains a prescription-only medicine to be used under a doctor's care ^[1].

The approved dosing for this use starts at 0.25 mg once weekly and steps up every four weeks to 0.5 mg, 1 mg, and 1.7 mg, reaching a maintenance dose of 2.4 mg once weekly ^[1]. For patients who also have obesity, defined as a BMI over 30, the dose can be raised further to 7.2 mg once weekly after at least four weeks at 2.4 mg ^[1]. The most commonly reported side effects are gastrointestinal, including nausea, diarrhea, constipation, and vomiting ^[1].

This is a conditional marketing authorization, meaning Novo Nordisk, which received the approval, must submit further results from an ongoing MASH study in people with moderate-to-advanced liver scarring before the MHRA can convert it to a full authorization ^[1]. The agency said it will review new information on the drug at least once a year and update the product's official prescribing information as needed ^[1].

Even within the UK, the approval does not immediately guarantee access. The MHRA noted that patients with MASH cannot yet get semaglutide for this condition through the National Health Service, because the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is still appraising whether it is clinically and cost effective for MASH ^[1].

Why it matters for patients

This approval is a UK regulatory decision, not an action by the US Food and Drug Administration. The sources describe only what the MHRA authorized for the British market and do not state whether Novo Nordisk has sought or received a similar MASH indication for semaglutide in the United States, so that status is not yet known from the available information. For now, US patients taking Ozempic, Wegovy, or Rybelsus should not expect any change to their prescribing information or insurance coverage as a result of this UK news.

The development is still notable because MASH, a progressive liver disease tied to obesity and type 2 diabetes, has few approved drug treatments anywhere, and a major regulator formally recognizing a GLP-1 medicine for this use could shape how the disease is discussed and studied globally. The conditional nature of the UK approval also signals that regulators still want more long-term evidence on how well semaglutide works specifically for liver scarring, not just weight or blood sugar ^[1].

What happens next

Novo Nordisk is expected to submit additional results from its ongoing MASH study to the MHRA to support full marketing authorization, though no submission date is given in the available information ^[1]. Separately, NICE is continuing its appraisal of semaglutide's cost effectiveness for MASH, which will determine whether NHS patients in England can access it for this condition; no decision date was provided ^[1]. Whether Novo Nordisk will pursue or has pursued a comparable MASH indication with the FDA for the US market is not addressed in the available sources.