Novo Nordisk said on Friday its weight-loss drug met the main goals of a late-stage trial in patients with a type of fatty liver disease by helping reduce scarring of the organ while not worsening inflammation.

The closely watched trial studied the 2.4 milligram dose of semaglutide for the treatment of a condition called metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease.

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Semaglutide is sold as Wegovy for weight loss and Ozempic for treating diabetes.

At the 72-week mark, 37% of patients showed improvement in liver fibrosis, or scarring, with no worsening of steatohepatitis, an inflammation of the organ due to excess fat deposits.

Shares of the Copenhagen-listed Danish drugmaker rose 1.5% in afternoon trade in Copenhagen.

Novo Nordisk expects to file for regulatory approvals in the U.S. and the European Union in the first half of 2025. A second part of the trial will continue and the results are expected in 2029, the drugmaker said.