Nutrition & DietNew Drug ION224 Stops Fatty Liver Disease at the Source Without Weight Loss
Researchers at UC San Diego have developed an experimental drug called ION224 that targets the root cause of MASH, a severe fatty liver disease tied to obesity and diabetes. Unlike most treatments that focus on weight loss, ION224 blocks a liver enzyme called DGAT2 that drives fat buildup and inflammation inside liver cells. In a Phase IIb clinical trial of 160 adults, about 60% of patients on the highest dose showed meaningful improvements in liver health, including reduced scarring, without significant weight loss or serious side effects. Published in The Lancet, the findings suggest ION224 could work alongside existing therapies like GLP-1 drugs, offering a new pathway to treat a disease that silently progresses to cirrhosis, liver failure, and cancer.
