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Copenhagen, Denmark — Danish pharma group Novo Nordisk’s obesity drug Wegovy cuts the risk of heart attacks and strokes by a fifth, the company said in an announcement Tuesday that sent its shares soaring to a record high.
Though preliminary, it is the first research to suggest this class of weight loss medication, which has attracted considerable attention from the wider public, can confer lasting improvements to cardiovascular health.
The trial enrolled 17,604 adults aged 45 years who were either overweight or obese, and were randomised to receive either the injected drug, or a placebo, over a period of five years.
Strokes, heart attacks, and cardiovascular death were reduced by 20 percent, Novo Nordisk said in a statement, though it did not offer a breakdown for each category.
The detailed results of the trial will be presented at a scientific conference later this year, it said, adding that it plans to apply for regulatory approval to expand the uses for Wegovy in the United States and the European Union in 2023.
