Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease
Recent clinical, regulatory, research and industry developments relating to this disease.
Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease in Adults: A Review.
The Impact of Estrogen Deficiency on Liver Metabolism: Implications for Hormone Replacement Therapy.
Sex Hormones and Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease.
Therapeutic Potential of GLP-1 Receptor Agonists in Metabolic Associated Steatotic Liver Disease.
What's happening now
An analyst briefing on current research, clinical, regulatory and industry activity surrounding this disease.
- 5 clinical trials expected to report results, the earliest in Q3 2026.
- Active recent publication activity, including 2 notable findings.
- Q3 2026A Phase IIa Clinical Trial to Evaluate the Efficacy, Safety, Pharmacokinetics, and Pharmacodynamics of HP515 Tablets in Participants With Non - Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease
- Q4 2026A Phase 2, Double-Blind, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Study to Evaluate the Safety, Tolerability and Efficacy of MN-001 in Patients Diagnosed With Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease, Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus, and Hypertriglyceridemia
- Q1 2027A 52-Week, Phase 3, Open-Label Extension Study, With a Double-blind Lead-in, to Evaluate Safety and Biomarkers of Resmetirom (MGL-3196) in Patients With Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD), MAESTRO-NAFLD-Open-Label-Extension (MAESTRO-NAFLD-OLE)
- Q1 2027Quantitation of Hepatic Mitochondrial Fluxes in Humans With Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD)
- Q1 2028A Phase 3, Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, 3-Arm Study to Investigate the Safety and Efficacy of Efimosfermin Alfa in Participants With Biopsy-Confirmed F2- or F3-Stage Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatohepatitis (MASH) (ZENITH-1)
Research HighlightsViewHide
- 2026-01-01Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease in Adults: A Review.Tilg H · 2026
- 2025-11-07Semaglutide therapy for metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis: November 2025 updates to AASLD Practice Guidance.Bansal MB · 2026
- 2025-10-01Sex Hormones and Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease.Weiskirchen R · 2025
- 2026-02-17Epidemiology, screening, and co-management of type 2 diabetes mellitus and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease.Qi X · 2026
- 2025-11-01Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease (MASLD): Mechanisms, Clinical Implications and Therapeutic Advances.Miller DM · 2025
- 2025-11-01The Impact of Estrogen Deficiency on Liver Metabolism: Implications for Hormone Replacement Therapy.Dong J · 2025
Clinical MilestonesViewHide
- 2026-07-27A Phase 3, Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, 3-Arm Study to Investigate the Safety and Efficacy of Efimosfermin Alfa in Participants With Biopsy-Confirmed F2- or F3-Stage Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatohepatitis (MASH) (ZENITH-1)Results expected Q1 2028
- 2026-05-27A 52-Week, Phase 3, Open-Label Extension Study, With a Double-blind Lead-in, to Evaluate Safety and Biomarkers of Resmetirom (MGL-3196) in Patients With Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD), MAESTRO-NAFLD-Open-Label-Extension (MAESTRO-NAFLD-OLE)Results expected Q1 2027
- 2026-02-05A Phase 2, Double-Blind, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Study to Evaluate the Safety, Tolerability and Efficacy of MN-001 in Patients Diagnosed With Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease, Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus, and HypertriglyceridemiaResults expected Q4 2026
- 2026-01-09Quantitation of Hepatic Mitochondrial Fluxes in Humans With Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD)Results expected Q1 2027
- 2025-12-29A Phase IIa Clinical Trial to Evaluate the Efficacy, Safety, Pharmacokinetics, and Pharmacodynamics of HP515 Tablets in Participants With Non - Alcoholic Fatty Liver DiseaseResults expected Q3 2026
- 2026-07-27ClinicalA Phase 3, Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, 3-Arm Study to Investigate the Safety and Efficacy of Efimosfermin Alfa in Participants With Biopsy-Confirmed F2- or F3-Stage Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatohepatitis (MASH) (ZENITH-1)Results expected Q1 2028
- 2026-05-27ClinicalA 52-Week, Phase 3, Open-Label Extension Study, With a Double-blind Lead-in, to Evaluate Safety and Biomarkers of Resmetirom (MGL-3196) in Patients With Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD), MAESTRO-NAFLD-Open-Label-Extension (MAESTRO-NAFLD-OLE)Results expected Q1 2027
- 2026-02-17ResearchEpidemiology, screening, and co-management of type 2 diabetes mellitus and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease.Qi X · 2026
- 2026-02-05ClinicalA Phase 2, Double-Blind, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Study to Evaluate the Safety, Tolerability and Efficacy of MN-001 in Patients Diagnosed With Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease, Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus, and HypertriglyceridemiaResults expected Q4 2026
- 2026-01-09ClinicalQuantitation of Hepatic Mitochondrial Fluxes in Humans With Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD)Results expected Q1 2027
- 2026-01-01ResearchMetabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease in Adults: A Review.Tilg H · 2026
- 2025-12-29ClinicalA Phase IIa Clinical Trial to Evaluate the Efficacy, Safety, Pharmacokinetics, and Pharmacodynamics of HP515 Tablets in Participants With Non - Alcoholic Fatty Liver DiseaseResults expected Q3 2026
- 2025-11-07ResearchSemaglutide therapy for metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis: November 2025 updates to AASLD Practice Guidance.Bansal MB · 2026
- 2025-11-01ResearchMetabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease (MASLD): Mechanisms, Clinical Implications and Therapeutic Advances.Miller DM · 2025
- 2025-11-01ResearchThe Impact of Estrogen Deficiency on Liver Metabolism: Implications for Hormone Replacement Therapy.Dong J · 2025
Research-associated treatments
Drugs and agents co-studied with this disease across the research literature — associative, not necessarily established treatments. Number shows shared papers.
Clinical trials
The current development programme across all trial phases.
Research activity
Key research shaping understanding of this disease, combining the latest publications with the most influential evidence.
Major themes8
- Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease63
- Diabetes Mellitus, Type 217
- Gastrointestinal Microbiome9
- Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 Receptor Agonists8
- Metabolic Diseases8
- Fatty Liver7
- Liver6
- Metabolic Syndrome6
Leading journals6
- Hepatology (Baltimore, Md.)12
- International journal of molecular sciences9
- Gut6
- Journal of hepatology4
- Nutrients3
- World journal of gastroenterology3
Leading researchers8
- Loomba R7
- Sanyal AJ7
- Targher G7
- Cusi K6
- Tilg H6
- Anstee QM5
- Newsome PN5
- Ratziu V5
Affiliations (unnormalised)6
- Mayo Clinic6
- Virginia Commonwealth University5
- NAFLD Research Center4
- School of Medicine4
- Antwerp University Hospital3
- Baylor College of Medicine3
Disease biology
Key proteins & gene products studied in this disease. Number shows shared papers.
Related conditions
Diseases frequently studied alongside this one. Number shows shared papers.
Disease profile
A grounded synthesis of the condition — overview, causes, mechanism, risk factors and current standard of care.
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is a fatty liver condition that occurs without excessive alcohol consumption. It is a common liver disease and is associated with hepatic steatosis and, in more severe forms, nonalcoholic steatohepatitis.
The grounding supports a multifactorial aetiology involving dietary, genetic, and environmental factors. It also links the disease to alcohol drinking as a studied mechanism, but the defining feature is that it occurs without excessive alcohol consumption.
NAFLD is characterized by hepatic lipid accumulation when lipid acquisition exceeds lipid disposal. The literature grounding indicates increased fatty acid uptake and de novo lipogenesis, with insufficient fatty acid oxidation and export, alongside disturbed glucose and lipid metabolism and inflammatory signaling.
The supplied grounding supports obesity-related and metabolic risk context through its links to metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes mellitus, and cardiovascular disease. It also indicates that genetic variants may modify risk, and that diet and gut microbiota-related factors are implicated.
The grounding supports treatment at the modality level with drug therapy and broader therapy focused on metabolic and liver disease mechanisms. Co-studied agents include GLP-1 receptor agonists such as semaglutide and liraglutide, and the thyroid hormone receptor-β–targeted agent resmetirom, indicating pharmacologic management aimed at metabolic and hepatic improvement.
AI-generated summary grounded in MeSH and 6 peer-reviewed sources. Informational only — not medical advice. Generated 2026-07-07.
Reference
Authoritative identity, definition & identifiers.
Fatty liver finding without excessive ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION.
- Disease identity & definition — NLM Medical Subject Headings (MeSH), public domain
- Clinical trials — ClinicalTrials.gov (U.S. National Library of Medicine)
- Research activity — Europe PMC (EMBL-EBI) + OpenAlex-derived paper links
- Related entities are derived from literature co-mention (studied together) — associative, not causal.