Fatty liver disease is widespread globally, affecting an estimated 30% of the population. If left untreated, fatty liver can have serious direct (liver cirrhosis) and indirect (cardiovascular disease) health consequences. In cases where fatty liver is associated with obesity or diabetes, several drugs are very useful for its treatment (Ozempic, Wegocy, Mounjaro). All of these are highly effective in inducing weight loss, as they act on the GLP-1 hormone, slow digestion, and decrease appetite.
A new drug called HU6, currently being used in clinical trials, employs a different mechanism of action, causing a controlled metabolic acceleration. At the recent American Society for the Study of the Liver Congress, a study was presented that included 273 patients who received either a placebo or HU6 orally at doses of 150, 300, or 450 mg daily for 26 weeks. The study showed a reduction in liver fat of 29.4%, 31.2%, and 27.0% in patients treated with HU6 at doses of 150, 300, and 450 mg, respectively, compared to only 6.7% in those treated with placebo. Furthermore, patients who received HU6 at doses of 300 and 450 mg experienced a significant reduction in weight compared to the placebo group. HU6 was well tolerated, with mild side effects (diarrhea, hot flashes, dyspnea, …) and no serious events, compared to other drugs that act on GLP-1 and cause effects such as nausea and vomiting.
In the opinion of the Foundation’s physicians and Dr. Carreño, this new drug could be very useful for treating fatty liver disease. However, we believe it would be advisable to conduct studies with a larger number of patients. It would also be interesting to compare HU6 with the drugs already commercially available (Ozempic, Wegocy, Mounjaro) for the treatment of fatty liver disease.
