According to a recent press release from Novo Nordisk, the makers of the drug Wegovythe latter would reduce 20% the overall risk of heart disease in overweight or obese people. A new clinical trial carried out by the company would indeed have shown that this treatment against obesity could also improve the heart health of patients.
Wegovy, like Ozempic also made by Novo Nordisk, contains a GLP-1 analog semaglutide. A semaglutide increases insulin production and lowers blood sugar which reduces appetite and also acts as an appetite suppressant by slowing down digestion. These drugs are therefore recommended in the treatment of Type 2 diabetes. And unlike Ozempic, Wegovy has been approved in the United States as a treatment for weight loss in overweight or obese adults, alongside a low-calorie diet and increased physical activity.
The Denmark-based company has seen a 39% increase in profits from 2022 with the popularity of its diabetes treatments. And since the announcement of the study results on Tuesday, its price on the Copenhagen Stock Exchange has jumped 16% according to Forbes.
A drug that “has the potential to change the way obesity is viewed and treated”
The study “SELECT” was a randomized, double-blind trial to assess the efficacy of the drug Wegovy versus placebo in preventing major adverse cardiovascular events in overweight or obese people. The research included 17,604 adults with BMI greater than 27, with cardiovascular disease but no history of diabetes. The study was conducted for almost 5 years in around forty countries.
“People who are obese have an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, but to date there are no approved weight management drugs that have been shown to provide effective weight management while reducing the risk of heart attackstroke (stroke) or cardiovascular death. Therefore, we are very happy with the results of SELECT demonstrating that semaglutide 2.4 mg [Wegovy] reduces the risk of cardiovascular events“said Martin Holst Lange, executive vice president of development at Novo Nordisk.”SELECT is a landmark trial and has demonstrated that Semaglutide 2.4mg has the potential to change the way obesity is viewed and treated“. For the moment the details of the effects of the treatment on each of the conditions in particular have not been communicated, but the company has said that it will present more detailed results at a future conference during the course. of the year.
Novo Nordisk said it wants to ask regulators in the United States and Europe to allow Wegovy to be prescribed for other medical indications, without specifying which ones.
Promising results but side effects not to be overlooked
An announcement to be taken with caution all the same, as these results have not yet been published in a peer-reviewed journal. We do not know to date the side effects that patients may have suffered. However, the European Medicines Agency (EMA) recently expressed concern about some side effects reported such as suicidal thoughts. Three drugs based on the GLP-1 analogue semaglutide, including Ozempic and Wegovy, are currently under review by the EMA. According to the New York Times“of patients reported nauseaof the diarrheavomiting, constipation and stomach pain, and some have stopped taking the drug due to these effects“. A case to follow.
Source :Novo Nordisk A/S: Semaglutide 2.4 mg reduces the risk of major adverse cardiovascular events by 20% in adults with overweight or obesity in the SELECT trialNovo Nordisk press release, August 8, 2023
