Shafaqna Health:A new study shows that pairing two existing medications can reverse fatty liver buildup and may also cut cardiovascular risk. Credit: Shutterstock
Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease is now the most common liver condition worldwide, affecting about one in three adults. It develops when excess fat builds up inside liver cells, which can lead to serious liver damage and also increases the risk of dying from heart and blood vessel disease.
A recent study from the University of Barcelona suggests a potential breakthrough using medications that are already available. Researchers found that two drugs, pemafibrate and telmisartan, were able to significantly reduce liver fat in animal models of this disease. Even more encouraging, using the two together appeared to not only improve liver health but also reduce related cardiovascular risks.
Why Repurposing Existing Drugs Matters
Many experimental drugs for metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) — formerly known as fatty liver disease — have not made it through clinical trials, often due to safety concerns. This has pushed scientists to explore drug repurposing, which involves using medications that are already approved for other conditions.
This strategy can be faster, more cost-effective, and safer, especially for early stages of MASLD that typically do not show symptoms.
“We have focused on these phases with the aim of preventing the disease from progressing to more severe stages. But for a drug to be used in these early stages, it must have a good safety profile in humans,” explains Marta Alegret. “That is why we have studied drugs already on the market for other pathologies, which have been shown to be very safe and could have a potential benefit in the treatment of MASLD,” she adds.
The team tested a lipid-lowering drug (pemafibrate) and a blood pressure medication (telmisartan), both used to manage cardiovascular risk. Pemafibrate is currently marketed only in Japan, while telmisartan is widely prescribed worldwide. “Mortality from cardiovascular causes is significant in patients with MASLD, and often these patients also have these two risk factors together,” Alegret stresses.
