The weight loss drug Wegovy from pharmaceutical manufacturer Novo Nordisk is said to reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases, such as heart attacks and strokes, by 20 percent. The manufacturer announced this on Tuesday.
The Danish company Novo Nordisk announced the results of a large-scale study of the weight-loss drug Wegovy on Tuesday. The study involved some 17,500 participants. They were 45 years or older, overweight, had a history of heart disease and no history of diabetes. The study ran for five years and participants used Wegovy weekly to test its effects.
The study now shows that the risk of such serious heart problems is reduced by 20 percent. Novo Nordisk is therefore the first company to be able to demonstrate with such a large-scale study that one of the new obesity drugs also has a positive effect on heart health. “People who are obese have an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, but to date there are no approved weight management medications that have been proven to provide effective weight management while reducing the risk of heart attack, stroke or cardiovascular death,” says Martin Holst Lange, executive vice president of development at Novo Nordisk. Novo Nordisk’s study now showed that it can, he said.
The new study has yet to be published and go through peer review, notes The New York Times. Still, the new findings could have major implications. For example, the pressure on insurers could increase to support treatment.
Wegovy originally came on the market as a kind of alternative to the well-known Ozempic. Ozempic regulates blood sugar levels and is primarily intended for diabetic patients. But it is also very popular with people who want to lose a few pounds. Wegovy and Ozempic contain the same active substance, but in a different dosage. Unlike Ozempic, Wegovy was initially marketed as a weight loss product.
2023-08-08 17:12:27
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