The Food and Drug Administration approved the weight loss drug Wegovy to treat an increasingly prevalent liver disease on Friday. Roughly 15 million people — six percent of adults in the United States — have metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis, known as MASH. Rates of the disease are rising.

Key Takeaways Novo Nordisk's blockbuster weight-loss drug, Wegovy, received Food and Drug Administration approval to treat a serious disease of the liver.Wegovy can be used for patients suffering from noncirrhotic metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis,

The launch marked Danish drugmaker Novo Nordisk's debut on the continent, ramping up competition with rival Eli Lilly.