Wegovy, Novo Nordisk's weight loss therapy part of a popular drug class, is now approved for reducing the risk of cardiovascular death, heart attack and stroke in adults who have cardiovascular disease and are either obese or overweight, the FDA said March 8.
The injectable medication is the first glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist — a drug class that includes Ozempic, Mounjaro and Trulicity — to be approved for serious heart problems in obese and overweight adults.
The FDA's approval label hooks on that Wegovy (semaglutide) should be used alongside a reduced calorie diet and increased physical activity.
About 70% of U.S. adults are obese or overweight, which the FDA said are "serious health issues that increase the risk for premature death and a variety of health problems, including heart attack and stroke."
In a phase 3 trial — which included more than 17,000 obese and overweight adults and lasted five years — the medication reduced major adverse cardiovascular events by 20% and quelled heart failure-related symptoms.
Read more here about how Wegovy compares to other GLP-1s.