Wegovy slashes risk of heart attack and stroke, drug maker claims

Wegovy might be good for extra than simply weight reduction — the once-weekly semaglutide shot has been proven to scale back the chance of coronary heart assault and stroke.

The favored weight problems treatment efficiently decreased the chance of main hostile cardiovascular occasions (MACEs) by 20% whereas noticed over a five-year interval, the drug’s producer Novo Nordisk announced on Tuesday.

Evaluating a 2.4-milligram dose of semaglutide, the energetic ingredient in Wegovy, to a placebo, the landmark SELECT trial researchers noticed 17,604 adults over the age of 45 who had been obese or overweight and had coronary heart illness however no historical past of diabetes.

“Individuals dwelling with weight problems have an elevated danger of heart problems however thus far, there are not any authorized weight administration drugs confirmed to ship efficient weight administration whereas additionally lowering the chance of coronary heart assault, stroke or cardiovascular loss of life,” Martin Holst Lange, the manager vp of growth at Novo Nordisk, mentioned in an announcement.

“Subsequently, we’re very excited concerning the outcomes from SELECT exhibiting that semaglutide 2.4 milligram reduces the chance of cardiovascular occasions.”

The double-blind trial suggests there might be extra to weight reduction than aesthetics.

Along with shedding some further kilos and staving off obesity-related health consequences, semaglutide, within the type of Ozempic, has been proven to probably struggle each addiction and cancer.

Whereas Wegovy “has the potential to alter how weight problems is regarded and handled,” in keeping with Lange, it may be tough to entry.

For these with well-endowed wallets, forking out the $1,300 value is a no brainer, however for others, it might be “prohibitive” — particularly if employer-funded insurance refuses to foot the bill.

To not point out the slew of side effects sufferers report, which ranges from sagging skin and excessive belching to explosive diarrhea and stomach paralysis, the latter of which is at the center of a lawsuit in opposition to Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly, the producer of Mounjaro.

A Novo Nordisk rep advised The Publish final week that they “will not be conscious of a lawsuit.”

On Tuesday, the corporate reported that the not too long ago trialed dose of semaglutide “appeared to have a secure and well-tolerated profile.”

The producer introduced that it plans to current the trial’s findings at a convention later this yr and hopes to file for regulatory approval of a “label indication growth” — or a brand new use for the drug — within the US and EU in 2023.