Ipragliflozin ameliorates liver damage in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease

Background: There are few effective medications for non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). We investigated the efficacy of ipragliflozin (selective sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitor [SGLT2I]) for the treatment of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) complicated by non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Methods: We prospectively enrolled patients with T2DM complicated by NAFLD treated at our institutions from January 2015 to December 2016. Patients received oral ipragliflozin (50 mg/day) once daily for 24 weeks. Body composition was evaluated using an InBody720 analyzer. We used transient elastography to measure liver stiffness and the controlled attenuation parameter for the quantification of liver steatosis in patients with NASH. Results: Forty-three patients with T2DM and NAFLD were enrolled (12 with biopsy-proven NASH and 31 with NAFLD diagnosed by ultrasonography). After 24 weeks, body weight, hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase, body fat mass, and steatosis were significantly decreased compared to baseline measurements in patients with NASH. However, muscle mass was not reduced, and liver stiffness showed a statistically insignificant tendency to decrease. NAFLD patients also showed a significant reduction in body weight, HbA1c, AST, and ALT compared to baseline measurements. Conclusion: Ipragliflozin may be effective in patients with T2DM complicated by NAFLD.