Publication Name	World Journal of Hepatology
Manuscript ID	117543
Country	China

Category	Endocrinology & Metabolism
Manuscript Type	Editorial
Article Title	Beyond efficacy: Insights from the norursodeoxycholic acid phase III trial in metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease
Manuscript Source	Invited Manuscript
All Author List	Ling-Ying Yu and Xian-Feng Zhang
Funding Agency and Grant Number	Funding Agency Grant Number Zhejiang Provincial Traditional Chinese Medicine Science and Technology Project 2025ZL454 Zhejiang Provincial Medical and Health Science and Technology Program Project 2025KY1092 the Construction Fund of Key Medical Disciplines of Hangzhou, Clinical Research and Evaluation 2025HZGF04
Corresponding Author	Xian-Feng Zhang, Chief Physician, MD, PhD, Department of Endocrinology & Metabolism, Affilliated Hangzhou First People’s Hospital, Westlake University School of Medicine, Huansha Road 261, Hangzhou 310006, Zhejiang Province, China. zxf2541@zju.edu.cn
Key Words	Clinical endpoints; Drug development; Liver fibrosis; Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease; Norursodeoxycholic acid; Pharmacotherapy; Clinical trial
Core Tip	The Phase III trial of norursodeoxycholic acid (norUDCA) in metabolic dysfunction–associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) reflects broader methodological challenges in the field: short duration, reliance on non-invasive surrogate endpoints, and high placebo response rates. While norUDCA’s mechanism and safety profile differ from newly approved agents, its future role may be further evaluated.
Citation	Yu LY, Zhang XF. Beyond efficacy: Insights from the norursodeoxycholic acid phase III trial in metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease. World J Hepatol 2026; In press

Received	2025-12-10 00:36
Peer-Review Started	2025-12-10 05:40
First Decision by Editorial Office Director	2025-12-19 08:18
Return for Revision	2025-12-19 08:18
Revised	2025-12-26 17:45
Publication Fee Transferred
Second Decision by Editor	2026-01-29 02:33
Second Decision by Editor-in-Chief
Final Decision by Editorial Office Director	2026-01-29 07:47
Articles in Press	2026-01-29 07:47
Edit the Manuscript by Language Editor
Typeset the Manuscript

ISSN	1948-5182 (online)
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