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The results of an interim analysis for efficacy conducted at week 72 involving the first 800 randomized participants are reported here (part 1).<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>\n                      One\u00a0hundred and sixteen of the first 800 randomized participants included in the interim analysis for efficacy were Japanese and received semaglutide (\n                      <jats:italic>n<\/jats:italic>\n                      = 78) or placebo (\n                      <jats:italic>n<\/jats:italic>\n                      = 38). Compared with the overall population, Japanese participants were older and had a lower body mass index. Resolution of steatohepatitis and no worsening of liver fibrosis was achieved by 63.1 and 36.8% of Japanese participants receiving semaglutide and placebo, respectively (estimated difference in responder proportions [EDP]: 26.65 [95% confidence interval (CI): 7.43\u201345.86]). Improvement in liver fibrosis and no worsening of steatohepatitis was achieved by 36.5 and 28.9% of Japanese participants receiving semaglutide and placebo, respectively (EDP: 7.07 [95% CI: \u221211.48\u201325.62]). Based on the adverse event profiles of all participants receiving treatment, semaglutide was well tolerated in the Japanese population. Age and body mass index distribution did not meaningfully affect efficacy and safety.\n                    <\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Conclusions<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>The efficacy and safety of semaglutide were directionally consistent in the Japanese population compared with those of the overall ESSENCE population.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Trial registration<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>\n                      ClinicalTrials.gov;\n                      <jats:ext-link xmlns:xlink=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/1999\/xlink\" xlink:href=\"https:\/\/clinicaltrials.gov\/study\/NCT04822181\" ext-link-type=\"uri\">https:\/\/clinicaltrials.gov\/study\/NCT04822181<\/jats:ext-link>\n                    <\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1007\/s00535-026-02507-0","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,28]],"date-time":"2026-08-28T13:07:21Z","timestamp":1787922441000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1007\/springer_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["Semaglutide in Japanese participants with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis: a subgroup analysis of the ESSENCE trial"],"prefix":"10.1007","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-6263-1436","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Atsushi","family":"Nakajima","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Takeshi","family":"Okanoue","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Yoichi","family":"Hiasa","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Hirokazu","family":"Takahashi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Kwabena","family":"Opuni","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Nobuyoshi","family":"Kosaka","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Tomoyuki","family":"Nishida","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Arun J.","family":"Sanyal","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"297","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,28]]},"reference":[{"key":"2507_CR1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e1912565","DOI":"10.1001\/jamanetworkopen.2019.12565","volume":"2","author":"DE Kleiner","year":"2019","unstructured":"Kleiner DE, Brunt EM, Wilson LA, et al. 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Ltd., Biopharming Pharmaceutical Co., Kowa Company, Ltd., and Taisho Pharmaceutical; research grants from Gilead Sciences; and support for attending meetings and\/or travel from Novo Nordisk Pharma Ltd.\u00a0Takeshi Okanoue declares no conflicts of interest.\u00a0Yoichi Hiasa declares research funding from Mochida Pharmaceutical, Otsuka, and Sumitomo; and received lecture fees from AbbVie, AstraZeneca, Otsuka, Taisho Pharmaceutical, and Gilead Sciences.\u00a0Hirokazu Takahashi received lecture fees from Novo Nordisk Pharma Ltd., Tanabe Pharma Corporation, Gilead Sciences, and AbbVie GK; and research grants from Takeda Co., Ltd.\u00a0Kwabena Opuni, Nobuyoshi Kosaka, and Tomoyuki Nishida are employees of and hold stock in Novo Nordisk.\u00a0Arun J. Sanyal served as a consultant for Intercept, Gilead, Takeda, Merck, Eli Lilly, Novo Nordisk, AstraZeneca, Boehringer Ingelheim, Alnylam, Regeneron, Histoindex, PathAI, Pfizer, 89bio, Altimmune, Akero, Madrigal Pharmaceuticals, Salix, Myovant Sciences, Poxel, Surrozen, Hanmi, Aligos, ProMED, and Zydus; received research funding (to institution) from Intercept, Novo Nordisk, Eli Lilly, Boehringer Ingelheim, Echosens, Hanmi, Madrigal Pharmaceuticals, Gilead, Salix, Merck, and Takeda; received royalties or licenses from Elsevier and Wolters Kluwer; and holds shares of Durect, Inversago, Tiziana, Rivus, Exalenz, and Genfit.","order":1,"name":"Ethics","label":"Conflict of interest","group":{"name":"EthicsHeading","label":"Declarations"}}]}}