Echosens and Novo Nordisk Advance Partnership to Increase Awareness and Early Diagnosis of MASH

WESTBOROUGH, Mass., Aug. 18, 2025 /PRNewswire/
Echosens, the leader in non-invasive liver diagnostics, and Novo Nordisk are strengthening their aligned efforts to combat steatotic liver disease, following the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s approval of Wegovy^® (semaglutide) for the treatment of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH). The approval marks a significant milestone as the first GLP-1 therapy approved for MASH, expanding treatment options for patients and providers.

„We congratulate Novo Nordisk on this landmark achievement for patients with MASH,“ says Jon Gingrich, CEO of Echosens North America. „Echosens is proud to serve as a trusted partner to Novo Nordisk, supporting earlier diagnosis, greater access to care, and improved outcomes for patients. As treatment options expand, so does the need for reliable point-of-care tests to identify steatotic liver disease earlier and to monitor treatment response with precision. FibroScan^® plays a critical role in enabling timely access to MASH treatment by helping providers document medical necessity and guide clinical decisions. We’re honored to have FibroScan recognized as the key non-invasive diagnostic solution, and we’re excited to grow our strategic partnership so more people can get the care they deserve.“

MASH affects approximately 1 in 20 people, yet it is estimated that 9 out of 10 cases are undiagnosed, highlighting the need for scalable, non‑invasive tools (NITs) to screen and support ongoing care. MASH is driven by fat accumulation and inflammation in the liver, which may advance to scarring, cirrhosis, and ultimately liver failure if left untreated. Steatotic liver disease also doubles patients‘ risk of heart attack or stroke and triples the risk of developing diabetes.

FibroScan, Echosens‘ point‑of‑care diagnostic system, uniquely delivers vibration‑controlled transient elastography (VCTE™)—a proprietary, clinically validated technology—to non-invasively assess liver stiffness (fibrosis) and steatosis (fat accumulation) in an exam that takes as little as four minutes. FibroScan exams are widely covered by insurance, used across hepatology, gastroenterology, endocrinology, obesity medicine, and primary care, and are efficient and cost-effective for monitoring treatment response.

FibroScan is a key NIT in Novo Nordisk’s ongoing ESSENCE trial. It is used to screen patients for enrollment and to measure secondary endpoints related to NITs. At 72 weeks, patients showed improvements in both CAP™ score (a measure of steatosis) and LSM by VCTE™ (an assessment of fibrosis) compared to placebo. These results further establish FibroScan as the leading point-of-care NIT capable of both identifying and monitoring patients appropriate for treatment with semaglutide.

Echosens and Novo Nordisk share an ambition of doubling diagnostic rates for people living with advanced to severe MASH by 2027—a goal that requires continued investment in education, awareness, and access to scalable, non-invasive diagnostics. With treatment options expanding and the need for early detection more urgent than ever, both organizations remain firmly committed to improving how MASH is identified and managed.