Merck Says Investigational MASH Drug Shows Promise in Midstage Trial
By Connor Hart
Merck said a mid-stage trial of its in-development treatment for metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis, or MASH, and liver fibrosis yielded positive results.
The pharmaceutical company on Monday said the treatment, called efinopegdutide, has the potential to provide clinically meaningful improvements in MASH resolution and liver fibrosis.
MASH is a chronic inflammatory liver disease that can progress to cirrhosis and ultimately liver failure, highlighting the need for additional treatment options, said Eliav Barr, head of global clinical development and chief medical officer at Merck Research Laboratories.
The Phase 2b study met its primary efficacy endpoint, with between 56% and 63% of participants receiving efinopegdutide achieving MASH resolution without worsening of liver fibrosis after 52 weeks, compared with 13% of those receiving a placebo, Merck said.
The treatment also improved liver fibrosis without worsening of steatohepatitis, a key secondary endpoint, the company added.
Efinopegdutide is an investigational, once-weekly treatment targeting both glucagon-like peptide-1, or GLP-1, and glucagon receptors. Its safety profile was generally consistent with that of semaglutide, a widely used GLP-1 drug, Merck said.
Write to Connor Hart at connor.hart@wsj.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
November 09, 2026 14:04 ET (19:04 GMT)
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