Novonordisk said on Tuesday that a large study showed that its obesity drug Wigovy had a clear medical benefit in addition to weight loss.
The Danish company said in a statement that weekly injections of the drug reduced the risk of a serious cardiovascular event, such as stroke, by 20 percent in people who were overweight or obese and had a history of heart disease.
The result was much better than investors and analysts had expected between 15 and 17 percent before the data was released.
The study, called SELECT, included 17,500 patients aged 45 or older with no history of diabetes.
And it began nearly five years ago to test whether weekly injections might have a medical benefit.
The company’s executive vice president of development, Martin Holst Lang, said in a statement that the results of the important trial show that “Wegovi” “has the potential to change the way obesity is approached and treated.”
The company said it expects to file for regulatory approval for the weekly injection in the United States and the European Union this year.
The results of the experiment will be presented in detail at a scientific conference later this year.
The increasingly popular drug has transformed the weight loss drug market since its launch in the United States in June 2021, garnering the attention of patients, investors and celebrities around the world.
The injection makes patients feel fuller for longer and leads to an average of 15 percent weight loss when combined with diet changes and exercise.
2023-08-08 13:31:53
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