FDA approves Wegovy to reduce heart attack and stroke risk
The blockbuster weight loss drug Wegovy is now approved by the FDA to reduce heart disease risk, drugmaker Novo Nordisk said Friday.
The blockbuster weight loss drug Wegovy is now approved to reduce heart disease risk, drugmaker Novo Nordisk said Friday.
The Food and Drug Administration has updated the drug's label, saying that Wegovy can be prescribed to reduce a person's risk of heart attack and stroke, the company said.
Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The change comes after, in a late-stage clinical trial of more than 17,000 adults, Novo Nordisk found that Wegovy cut the risk of cardiovascular events — such as heart attack and stroke — by 20% compared to a placebo. All of the people in the trial were overweight or had obesity, and had a history of heart disease.
The label change could mean that more employers and insurers are persuaded to cover the medication.
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