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Evidence: MediumPeptideIn Clinical TrialsGLP-1 / glucagon co-agonistPhase 2b in MASHNot approved

Pemvidutide

A weekly dual agonist aimed at fatty liver disease, with a breakthrough designation and a mixed phase 2b result

Pemvidutide activates two receptors, GLP-1 and glucagon, to cut liver fat and body weight together. In its phase 2b MASH trial it more than doubled the rate of disease resolution against placebo at 24 weeks, but did not significantly improve fibrosis. It is not approved anywhere.

At a Glance Read Research →
Overview

What is it?

Pemvidutide belongs to the group of drugs that pair GLP-1, the appetite and insulin hormone behind semaglutide, with a second gut-hormone signal. Its partner is glucagon, which acts on the liver to burn fat and raise energy use. The bet is that adding glucagon targets liver fat more directly than GLP-1 alone, which matters for metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH), the inflammatory, scarring form of fatty liver disease.

In people with fatty liver, it removed liver fat quickly. In a 12-week trial in 94 patients, liver fat fell by 47% to 69% from baseline across doses against 4% on placebo, and more than half of those on 1.8 mg reached a normal liver-fat level; an extension to 24 weeks deepened the reductions and added about 6% weight loss.

The key test was IMPACT, a phase 2b trial in 212 people with biopsy-confirmed MASH. At 24 weeks, MASH resolved without fibrosis getting worse in 52% to 58% on pemvidutide against 20% on placebo, a large and significant difference. Fibrosis improvement, the outcome regulators weigh most heavily for liver drugs, did not differ significantly from placebo (33% to 36% against 28%).

The developer's later releases describe 48-week improvements in non-invasive fibrosis markers and an FDA Breakthrough Therapy Designation for MASH in January 2026, with a phase 3 trial planned; those are company statements, not peer-reviewed results. Pemvidutide is not approved, and it is not a lawful product to buy.

Structured data

At a Glance

Every value in this table is printed from the Grey Peptides dataset, the same record the compound explorer and comparison tool read, so the three can never disagree.

ClassA once-weekly balanced 1:1 glucagon / GLP-1 dual receptor agonist peptide.
Half-lifenot reported; dosed once weekly in trials
Studied dose1.2–2.4 mg (once weekly, subcutaneous)
US statusIn Clinical Trials
Evidence levelMedium
Last reviewed2026-10-05

Educational information, not medical advice. The doses on this page come from approved labels, published studies and, where no study exists, amounts reported by users. None is a recommendation for you. An unapproved compound has no established safe or effective human dose, and products sold for “research use only” are not made or tested for people. Talk to a doctor before acting on anything on this site, including before you start, stop or change any medicine or dose. Full medical disclaimer.

Evidence

Published Research

These are the trials and studies read from their PubMed abstracts on October 5, 2026.

Human2025

IMPACT: phase 2b in biopsy-proven MASH

212 patients were randomised to weekly pemvidutide 1.2 mg, 1.8 mg or placebo. At 24 weeks MASH resolved without fibrosis worsening in 58% and 52% against 20% on placebo (both p<0.0001); fibrosis improved without MASH worsening in 33% and 36% against 28%, not significant. Adverse events were reported in 78% and 81% against 67%.

PMID: 41237796
Human2025

24 weeks in fatty liver disease

In a 64-participant extension, liver fat fell 56%, 75% and 76% from baseline on 1.2, 1.8 and 2.4 mg against 14% on placebo; at 1.8 mg, 54% reached normal liver fat. Body weight fell 6.2% more than placebo, and the authors described low rates of side effects.

PMID: 41113119
Human2025

12 weeks: the first liver-fat trial

94 patients with a median liver-fat content of 20.6% were randomised to three doses or placebo. Liver fat fell 46.6%, 68.5% and 57.1% against 4.4%, with 55.6% normalising at 1.8 mg; weight fell up to 4.3%, and liver-enzyme and imaging markers of inflammation improved.

PMID: 39002641
Review2026

A meta-analysis of the trials

Pooling the randomised trials against placebo, pemvidutide reduced liver fat by about 53 points and body weight by about 3.5 kg at 12 weeks, with further gains in liver enzymes at 24 weeks.

PMID: 41879841
Animal2022

In mice with fatty liver disease

In diet-induced obese mice with biopsy-confirmed fatty liver and fibrosis, the compound, then called ALT-801, was compared with semaglutide and elafibranor over 12 weeks as part of its preclinical case.

PMID: 35461369
Safety

Side Effects & Contraindications

Reported Side Effects

From the trial abstracts.

● Adverse events in about four in five patients in IMPACT, against two in three on placebo
● Gastrointestinal effects typical of GLP-1-based drugs are expected; abstracts describe it as generally well tolerated
● Long-term safety unknown: the published trials run 12 to 24 weeks

Contraindications & Cautions

There is no approved label, so no formal contraindications exist.

● Not defined: unapproved drugs have no labelled contraindications
● Outside a clinical trial there is no lawful or quality-controlled source
Questions

Frequently Asked Questions

?Is pemvidutide approved?

No. It is an investigational drug in phase 2b and planned phase 3 testing for MASH; it is not approved anywhere.

?Did pemvidutide improve liver fibrosis?

Not significantly at 24 weeks in IMPACT: fibrosis improved in 33% to 36% against 28% on placebo, while MASH resolution was much higher (52% to 58% against 20%).

?How is it different from semaglutide?

It adds glucagon-receptor activity to GLP-1 activity, aiming at liver fat more directly; semaglutide acts on GLP-1 only.

Bibliography

References

  1. [pubmed] Noureddin M, et al. "Safety and efficacy of weekly pemvidutide versus placebo for metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (IMPACT): 24-week results from a multicentre, randomised, double-blind, phase 2b study." Lancet, 2025;406(10520):2644-2655. PMID: 41237796.
  2. [pubmed] Browne SK, et al. "Safety and efficacy of 24 weeks of pemvidutide in metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease: A randomized, controlled clinical trial." JHEP Rep, 2025;7(11):101483. PMID: 41113119.
  3. [pubmed] Harrison SA, et al. "Effect of pemvidutide, a GLP-1/glucagon dual receptor agonist, on MASLD: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study." J Hepatol, 2025;82(1):7-17. PMID: 39002641.
  4. [pubmed] Rajab I, et al. "Efficacy and safety of pemvidutide in metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis: a GRADE-assessed meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials." Naunyn Schmiedebergs Arch Pharmacol, 2026;399(9):14553-14560. PMID: 41879841.
  5. [pubmed] Nestor JJ, et al. "Effects of ALT-801, a GLP-1 and glucagon receptor dual agonist, in a translational mouse model of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis." Sci Rep, 2022;12(1):6666. PMID: 35461369.
  6. [news-release] Altimmune, Inc. "Altimmune Receives FDA Breakthrough Therapy Designation for Pemvidutide in MASH." January 5, 2026.
  7. [news-release] Altimmune, Inc. "Altimmune Announces that Pemvidutide Achieved Key Measures of Success at 48 Weeks in IMPACT Phase 2b MASH Trial." December 19, 2025.

Sources & Citations

Studies from their PubMed abstracts, read October 5, 2026; regulatory and development status from the developer's announcements, as cited.

Medical Disclaimer: This content is for educational and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, and nothing here is an instruction to obtain or use any compound. Consult a licensed healthcare provider before making health decisions.

Last reviewed: 2026-10-05