Merck Reports Positive Phase 2b Results for Efinopegdutide in MASH: 63% of Patients on the 7 mg Dose Achieved MASH Resolution vs. 13% on Placebo
Merck & Co. (NYSE: MRK) announced on November 9 positive results from a Phase 2b clinical trial of its investigational drug efinopegdutide (MK-6024) in adults with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH) and stage 2 to 3 liver fibrosis.
Efinopegdutide is a dual agonist of the GLP-1 and glucagon receptors, given by subcutaneous injection once a week. It was originally developed by South Korea's Hanmi Pharmaceutical, and Merck holds rights to it for the treatment of fatty liver disease under an exclusive licensing agreement. MASH is the more severe form of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), in which inflammation and liver damage can progress to fibrosis, cirrhosis and liver cancer, and approved treatment options remain limited.
The Phase 2b study enrolled patients with biopsy-confirmed MASH. Its primary endpoint was the proportion of patients achieving MASH resolution without worsening of fibrosis at Week 52, with a key secondary measure of at least one stage of fibrosis improvement without worsening of steatohepatitis. In biopsy data presented at the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD) Liver Meeting 2026, 63% of patients receiving the 7 mg dose achieved MASH resolution, compared with 13% on placebo, meeting the trial's main goal.
Merck said it will advance the program as planned. In earlier studies, efinopegdutide had already shown an ability to reduce liver fat content, and the drug previously received Fast Track designation from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Merck is headquartered in Rahway, New Jersey, and operates as MSD outside the United States and Canada.
(Source: Merck)
Source: Merck
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：默克（在美国与加拿大以外称 MSD）位于北京的办公大楼。N509FZ 摄，CC BY-SA 4.0，经 Wikimedia Commons。 / Photo: The Merck Sharp & Dohme (MSD) building in Beijing. Photo by N509FZ, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
