Pemafibrate Could Prevent Severe Liver Complications

A new study by the University of Barcelona has found that a drug called pemafibrate can effectively treat liver disease caused by metabolic disorders. This type of liver disease is common and affects 1 in 4 people. pemafibrate drug is already used in Japan to improve blood lipid levels in diabetics. It may now also be able to help treat a liver disease that currently has no specific treatment that is effective. 

This study was recently published in Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy. This study was conducted on laboratory animal models that were created by a team from the UB’s Faculty of Pharmacy and Food Sciences and the UB Institute of Biomedicine (IBUB).  

Metabolic dysfunction–associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) is formerly known as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. It is a multisystem disorder with diverse origins. It can increase the risk of some disorders such as liver cancer, or liver failure and cirrhosis. They do not show any symptoms and their early stages last decades.

Pemafibrate is a medication that is used to treat problems with cholesterol and triglyceride levels in the blood. This study suggests that it can also be used to treat a condition called MASLD. This approach is known as drug repositioning. It involves the use of already approved drugs to treat different diseases. This can save our time and money as compared to developing new drugs. 

In this study, researchers injected pemafibrate drug into female rats with steatotic liver disease (SLD). When researchers observed the results, they found that it effectively reduced the risk of hepatic steatosis. It also enhanced fatty acid catabolism and cholesterol clearance. This shows it is safe and effective treatment. This study was focused on female rats. It can help find differences between males and females in chronic diseases.  

The results of this study clearly show that pemafibrate drug can be a good and effective option for treating steatotic liver disease. This study is very important as it can reduce the risk of many health complications. Hence healthcare professionals should consider this study and should suggest pemafibrate drug to those who are with SLD.