Skip to main content
OpenTrials
Active, Not Recruiting

NCT Number: NCT04822181

Research Study on Whether Semaglutide Works in People With Non-alcoholic Steatohepatitis (NASH)

Semaglutide is a medicine studied in patients with NASH. Semaglutide is a well-known medicine, which is already used by doctors to treat type 2 diabetes in many countries.

Participants will either get semaglutide or a dummy medicine - which treatment participants get is decided by chance.

Participants will need to inject themselves with medicine under the skin. Participants will need to do this once a week.

The study will last for about 5 years. Participants will have up to 21 clinic visits and 9 phone calls with the clinical staff during the study. Some of the clinic visits may be spread over more than one day.

Participants with other chronic liver diseases cannot take part in this study. Women cannot take part in the study if they are pregnant, breast-feeding or plan to become pregnant during the study period.

Active, Not Recruiting

This study is active but is not currently recruiting participants.

Notify Me

Key information

Age range

18 year and older

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Phase 3

Primary location

Centro de Investigaciones Metabólicas, Capital Federal, Buenos Aires, Argentina

Loading trial locations.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • Age above or equal to 18 years at the time of signing informed consent.
  • Histological evidence of NASH based on a central pathologist evaluation of the baseline liver biopsy. The baseline liver biopsy can be a historical biopsy obtained within 180 days prior to the screening visit (V1).
  • Histological evidence of fibrosis stage 2 or stage 3 according to the NASH CRN (Clinical Research Network) classification based on a central pathologist evaluation of the baseline liver biopsy.
  • A histological NAS (Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease Activity Score) above or equal to 4 with a score of 1 or more in steatosis, lobular inflammation and hepatocyte ballooning based on a central pathologist evaluation of the baseline liver biopsy.

Exclusion criteria

  • Documented causes of chronic liver disease other than non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD)
  • Positive HBsAg, positive anti-HIV, positive HCV RNA at screening (V2A) or any known presence of HCV RNA or HBsAg within 2 years of screening (V2A).
  • Presence or history of ascites, variceal bleeding, hepatic encephalopathy, spontaneous bacterial peritonitis or liver transplantation at randomisation.
  • Known or suspected excessive consumption of alcohol (greater than 20 g/day for women or greater than 30 g/day for men) or alcohol dependence (assessed by the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT questionnaire)).
  • Treatment with vitamin E (at doses greater than or equal to 800 IU/day) or pioglitazone or medications approved for treatment of NASH which has not been at a stable dose in the period from 90 days prior to the screening visit (V2A). In addition, for subjects with historical liver biopsies taken more than 90 days prior to screening, treatment should be at a stable dose from time of biopsy until screening.
  • Treatment with GLP-1 RAs in the period from 90 days prior to the screening visit (V2A). In addition, for subjects with historical liver biopsies taken more than 90 days prior to screening, any treatment with GLP-1 RAs from time of biopsy until screening (V2A).
  • Treatment with glucose-lowering agent(s) (other than GLP-1 RAs), lipid-lowering medication or weight loss medication not stable in the opinion of the investigator in the period from 90 days prior to the screening visit (V2A). In addition, for subjects with historical liver biopsies taken more than 90 days prior to screening, treatment should be at a stable dose in the opinion of the investigator from time of biopsy until screening.

Treatment and study plan

semaglutide

Drug

Semaglutide administrated subcutaneously (under the skin) once weekly there will be a period of dose escalation before reaching the target dose.

Placebo

Drug

Placebo administrated subcutaneously (under the skin) once weekly.

Primary outcomes

  1. Part 1: Resolution of steatohepatitis and no worsening of liver fibrosis (Yes/No)

    Time frame: From randomisation (week 0) to week 72

    Count of subject

  2. Part 1: Improvement in liver fibrosis and no worsening of steatohepatitis (Yes/No)

    Time frame: From randomisation (week 0) to week 72

    Count of subject

  3. Part 2: Cirrhosis-free survival (Yes/No)

    Time frame: From randomisation (week 0) to week 240

    Count of subject

Secondary outcomes

  1. Change in body weight

    Time frame: From randomisation (week 0) to week 72

    Percentage

  2. Resolution of steatohepatitis and improvement in liver fibrosis (Yes/No)

    Time frame: From randomisation (week 0) to week 72

    Count of subject

  3. Change in SF-36 (Short Form 36) Bodily Pain

    Time frame: From randomisation (week 0) to week 72

    Score points

  4. Change in body weight

    Time frame: From randomisation (week 0) to week 240

    Percentage

  5. Improvement in steatohepatitis with at least a 2-point reduction in NAS and no worsening of fibrosis (Yes/No)

    Time frame: From randomisation (week 0) to week 72

    Count of subject

  6. Change in histology-assessed liver collagen proportionate area

    Time frame: From randomisation (week 0) to week 72

    Ratio to baseline

  7. Worsening in steatohepatitis (Yes/No)

    Time frame: From randomisation (week 0) to week 72

    Count of subject

  8. Improvement in histology-assessed ballooning (Yes/No)

    Time frame: From randomisation (week 0) to week 72

    Count of subject

  9. Improvement in histology-assessed inflammation (Yes/No)

    Time frame: From randomisation (week 0) to week 72

    Count of subject

  10. Improvement in histology-assessed steatosis (Yes/No)

    Time frame: From randomisation (week 0) to week 72

    Count of subject

  11. NASH resolution (ballooning of 0, inflammation of 0-1) and above or equal to 2point NAS reduction with no worsening of fibrosis

    Time frame: From randomisation (week 0) to week 72

    Count of subject

  12. Progression of liver fibrosis in patients with F2 at baseline (Yes/No)

    Time frame: From randomisation (week 0) to week 72

    Count of subject

  13. Progression of liver fibrosis

    Time frame: From randomisation (week 0) to week 72

    Count of subject

  14. Resolution of steatohepatitis and no worsening of liver fibrosis (Yes/No)

    Time frame: From randomisation (week 0) to week 240

    Count of subject

  15. Improvement in liver fibrosis and no worsening of steatohepatitis (Yes/No)

    Time frame: From randomisation (week 0) to week 240

    Count of subject

  16. Absence of histological evidence of NASH (Yes/No)

    Time frame: From randomisation (week 0) to week 240

    Count of subject

  17. Changes in liver stiffness values assessed by transient elastography (FibroScan®)

    Time frame: From randomisation (week 0) to week 72 and week 240

    Ratio to baseline

  18. Change in ELF (Enhanced Liver Fibrosis) score

    Time frame: From randomisation (week 0) to week 72 and week 240

    Logarithm

  19. Change in ALT (alanine aminotransferase)

    Time frame: From randomisation (week 0) to week 72 and week 240

    Ratio to baseline

  20. Change in AST (aspartate aminotransferase)

    Time frame: From randomisation (week 0) to week 72 and week 240

    Ratio to baseline

  21. Change in CAP (Controlled Attenuation Parameter) values assessed by transient elastography (FibroScan)

    Time frame: From randomisation (week 0) to week 72 and week 240

    Absolute change

  22. Change in FAST (FibroScan-AST) score

    Time frame: From randomisation (week 0) to week 72 and week 240

    Probability (absolute change)

  23. Change in Pro-C3 (pro-peptide of type III collagen)

    Time frame: From randomisation (week 0) to week 72 and week 240

    Logarithm

  24. Change in inflammation assessed by hsCRP (High Sensitive C-Reactive Protein)

    Time frame: From randomisation (week 0) to week 72 and week 240

    Ratio to baseline

  25. Change in HbA1c (glycated haemoglobin)

    Time frame: From randomisation (week 0) to week 72 and week 240

    Percentage-points (absolute change)

  26. Change in triglyceride

    Time frame: From randomisation (week 0) to week 72 and week 240

    Ratio to baseline

  27. Change in free fatty acids

    Time frame: From randomisation (week 0) to week 72 and week 240

    Ratio to baseline

  28. Change in LDL (low-density lipoprotein) cholesterol

    Time frame: From randomisation (week 0) to week 72 and week 240

    Ratio to baseline

  29. Change in HDL (High density lipoprotein ) cholesterol

    Time frame: From randomisation (week 0) to week 72 and week 240

    Ratio to baseline

  30. Time to first MACE(Major Adverse Cardiovascular event ) (composite endpoint)

    Time frame: From randomisation (week 0) to week 240

    Days

  31. Major cardio-hepatic event-free survival (Yes/No)

    Time frame: From randomisation (week 0) to week 240

    Count of subject

  32. Changes in SF-36 (Short Form 36 v2.0 acute ) Physical Component Summary

    Time frame: From randomisation (week 0) to week 72 and week 240

    Score points

  33. Changes in SF-36 Mental Component Summary

    Time frame: From randomisation (week 0) to week 72 and week 240

    Score points

  34. Change in SF-36 Bodily Pain

    Time frame: From randomisation (week 0) to week 240

    Score points

  35. Changes in NASH-CHECK Abdominal Pain

    Time frame: From randomisation (week 0) to week 72 and week 240

    Score points

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Novo Nordisk A/S

Industry

Registry information

Official study title

The Effect of Semaglutide in Subjects With Non-cirrhotic Non-alcoholic Steatohepatitis

Acronym: ESSENCE

Important dates

Study start
2021
Primary completion
2029
Study completion
2029
First posted
Mar 30, 2021
Registry last updated
Jun 29, 2026

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

Published trials that share one or more normalized conditions with this study.