What we’ve long suspected is now official: the FDA just approved a weight-loss drug to treat liver disease.

On August 15, 2025, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted accelerated approval for semaglutide (Wegovy) to treat metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH) with moderate to advanced fibrosis in adults (FDA, 2025). That decision does more than add another indication for a familiar drug. It reframes obesity therapy as liver therapy, raising a practical question for veterinary teams and the industry: if treating obesity improves liver outcomes in humans, how should we monitor and communicate liver outcomes in dogs and cats?

“The Year of Ozempic” proclaimed the December 2023 edition of The New Yorker.

That same month, the journal Science declared glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) weight loss drugs its “Breakthrough of the Year,” beating out commendable contenders such as new malaria and Alzheimer’s treatments, innovative climate change research on natural carbon pumps and artificial intelligence (AI) in improving weather forecasting. Apparently, Science viewed treating obesity as a bigger story than dementia and global warming.

With all the success of human obesity medications, could pet weight loss drugs be far behind?