The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved, for the first time ever, a drug that can be used by those suffering from fatty liver disease.
The drug, called Rezdiffra (active ingredient: resmetirom), will be used for the treatment of adults with non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), now called MASH (metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis), with moderate to advanced liver scarring aka fibrosis.
This new treatment option will be used together with the recommended lifestyle changes to reverse fatty liver, mainly switching to a healthy diet and exercising regularly.
According to the official announcement on the FDA website, Rezdiffra is a partial activator of a thyroid hormone receptor which in turn helps reduce liver fat accumulation.
I did quite a bit of research online regarding the safety of the active ingredient in the newly approved drug, resmetirom, and the findings are indeed encouraging.
I found this study published in February 2024, finding that people taking Rezdiffra have shown improvement in liver fibrosis by at least one stage and NASH resolution.
While this is encouraging, this is still not a miracle treatment, as the study finds:
A total of 26% to 27% of subjects who received 80 milligrams of Rezdiffra and 24% to 36% of subjects who received 100 milligrams of Rezdiffra experienced NASH resolution and no worsening of liver scarring, compared to 9% to 13% of those who received placebo and counseling on diet and exercise.
Still, it’s at least double the amount compared to those following a diet alone, so we can consider this extremely good news.
As far as side effects go, these are minimal, with diarrhea and nausea being reported as the main ones.
Rezdiffra is produced by Madrigal Pharmaceuticals and reliable information regarding the actual price of the drug is difficult to find right now.
According to the drug’s official website, “commercially insured patients may pay as little as $10 with the Rezdiffra Copay Savings Card.” But, at the same time, various websites like Fierce Pharma quote a yearly price of $47,400, per patient, before discounts.
My comments & opinion
First of all, I have to say that this is indeed great news for those diagnosed with fatty liver disease. Having a pill that you can take to help you speed up recovery is really useful.
But it seems that, at least at the moment, Rezdiffra is not only potentially very expensive, but also only for patients diagnosed with NASH (MASH), and not “just” fatty liver.
NASH is the advanced form of fatty liver, with inflammation and liver cell damage (fibrosis) present as well.
At the same time, as I mentioned already, this is far from the miracle medicine that offers 100% cure rates. These are still pretty low and you still have to diet and exercise.
Which is still a good thing, because in my opinion, in order to healthily and fully reverse the condition – but especially to ensure that it won’t strike back – you will have to change your way of living.
Fatty liver disease, as well as NASH, can still be reversed by following a healthy diet and making all the required lifestyle changes.
I have reversed my fatty liver years ago, and I know dozens of people who managed to reverse it from various stages over the years through dieting and exercising alone.
So, even if you don’t qualify for Rezdiffra, or if it proves too expensive, you still have a chance to regain your health. Make sure to bring it up at your next doctor’s appointment as any additional help to speed up the recovery is more than welcome.
I was diagnosed with a fatty liver back in 2014 and managed to reverse it by mid-2015. Since then, I’ve been studying it, continuously updating my knowledge with the latest scientific findings and practical approaches to give others the help they need to reverse their condition.
My approach to managing fatty liver is holistic, balancing scientifically-backed information with real-life, practical advice based on personal, direct experience.
I am also the admin of the Fatty Liver Support Group on Facebook and the Fatty Liver Subreddit.