In order to treat metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH), a severe form of fatty liver disease associated with obesity and type 2 diabetes that can result in cirrhosis, liver failure, and even liver cancer, researchers at the University of California San Diego School of Medicine have discovered a novel experimental medication that exhibits promise. The drug ION224 targets a liver enzyme called DGAT2, which is crucial to the liver’s production and storage of fat, according to a study published in the August 23, 2025, online edition of The Lancet.
The medication helps lower inflammation and fat accumulation, two main causes of liver damage in MASH, by inhibiting this enzyme. “This study represents a significant breakthrough in the battle against MASH,” stated Rohit Loomba, MD, the study’s primary investigator and head of the UC San Diego School of Medicine’s Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology. “By blocking DGAT2, we’re interrupting the disease process at its root cause, stopping fat accumulation and inflammation right in the liver,” said Rohit Loomba.
A Phase IIb clinical trial in the US has found that a drug could potentially reverse liver damage in patients with metabolic conditions like obesity and type 2 diabetes. The drug, which showed no serious side effects, was administered to 160 adults with metabolic-dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (NASH) and early to moderate fibrosis. The results could potentially reduce the burden on healthcare systems by preventing costly and complex liver disease in the future. The drug’s potential could be used alongside other therapies, despite the potential for liver failure if left untreated.
