The anti-obesity medication Wegovy has demonstrated a 20% reduction in the risk of heart attack, stroke, and heart attack-related mortality when compared to individuals taking a placebo without active ingredients, according to a clinical trial involving participants with cardiovascular disease.
On August 8th, pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk released preliminary results of the trial through a news release. While these findings have yet to undergo peer review for publication in a scientific journal, the company has indicated that they will be presented at an upcoming scientific conference later this year.
Conducted over a span of five years, the study encompassed more than 17,000 adults aged 45 or older with cardiovascular disease who were either overweight or obese, but without a history of diabetes. Participants were randomly assigned to receive weekly injections of Wegovy or the inactive placebo.
Dr. Sebastian Eid, a bariatric surgeon and weight loss specialist at Hackensack University Medical Center in New Jersey, highlighted the significance of the study's findings. He stated, "This study is noteworthy as it reveals cardiovascular benefits [among individuals without diabetes], a feat that no other weight loss medication has previously achieved."
Weight loss frequently yields cardiovascular benefits.
A similar clinical trial involving Ozempic, a type 2 diabetes medication employing the same active ingredient, semaglutide, demonstrated a 26% reduction in the risk of heart attack, stroke, and heart-related mortality over a two-year period when compared to a placebo.
Dr. Brian Kolski, a cardiologist at the Orange County Heart Institute and the director of Structural Heart Disease at Providence St. Joseph Hospital in Orange County, California, noted that the cardiovascular advantages of Wegovy were to be expected.
"[This drug class] appears to be highly effective in inducing weight loss," he explained to Healthline. "And as anticipated, this weight loss should yield certain cardiovascular benefits."
Other treatments for obesity also manifest heart-related benefits. For instance, the predominantly plant-based Mediterranean diet has been shown to reduce the risk of coronary heart disease, stroke, and overall cardiovascular disease. It has also been associated with moderate weight loss, at least in the short term.
Bariatric surgery, another approach to managing obesity, has displayed substantial reductions in the risk of cardiovascular disease, surpassing the outcomes observed in the Wegovy trial.
Eid further conveyed to Healthline that numerous studies have established that patients who undergo bariatric surgery experience a notable decline in the likelihood of major cardiovascular events such as heart attacks, heart failure, or ischemic strokes.
In a study published in 2021 that spanned five years, bariatric surgery exhibited a 44% decrease in the risk of heart attack, stroke, or all-cause mortality among individuals with obesity. It also showcased a 65% reduction in the risk of dying from cardiovascular disease in comparison to individuals with obesity who did not undergo surgery.
An additional approach to combat obesity.
As per Novo Nordisk's press release, Wegovy demonstrated a "seemingly safe and well-tolerated profile," consistent with previous drug trials. However, the company did not offer specifics from the recent study. The release did not delve into the drug's effects on individual metrics such as heart attack, stroke, and cardiovascular death. Yet, with these promising findings, Wegovy has the potential to revolutionize the perception and management of obesity, remarked Martin Holst Lange, Executive Vice President for Development at Novo Nordisk, in the press release. Eid concurred, suggesting that once the comprehensive trial results are published, it could pave the way for cardiovascular risk factors to be included as criteria for insurance coverage of Wegovy. This could lead to its prescription for patients with obesity who are at risk of cardiovascular diseases. The company has announced its intention to request the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and European regulators to incorporate cardiovascular benefits into the drug's prescribing information within this year. Eid also believes that this new trial might help solidify the understanding of obesity as a medical condition. "This could contribute to the development of more effective treatments," he noted. Kolski highlighted that physicians working with obese patients already recognize that weight loss involves more than just dietary adjustments and increased exercise. "There's definitely a genetic and metabolic component," he explained. "Hence, this drug serves as an additional tool to aid these patients, in addition to lifestyle modifications and dietary changes."
Restricted availability of anti-obesity medications.
The demand for Wegovy is already substantial, causing Novo Nordisk to grapple with maintaining supply. Once the outcomes of the new trial are published in a peer-reviewed journal, there is the potential for an even greater number of physicians to prescribe the drug. Presently, Medicare does not cover Wegovy or other anti-obesity medications. Furthermore, certain insurance providers and employers have recently terminated coverage for Wegovy and similar drugs due to escalating expenses. Nevertheless, the publication of comprehensive results from the new trial might enhance health insurance coverage for Wegovy, which has a price of $1,349 per month before insurance coverage. Currently, access to anti-obesity drugs remains a challenge for numerous Americans. Randa Deaton, Vice President of Purchaser Engagement for the Purchaser Business Group on Health, a non-profit coalition representing around 40 private employers and public entities, pointed out that while encouraging clinical trial results are indeed positive, the core issue revolves around affordability and its ramifications on access. Deaton remarked, "Employers are dedicated to covering medications in accordance with appropriate usage, but the challenge persists in dealing with exorbitant drug prices and expenses." She further added, "If these medications are genuinely producing such favorable health outcomes with the potential to serve a considerably expanded patient population, why wouldn't pharmaceutical companies price them more competitively to mitigate access and affordability barriers?"
A recent study conducted by Novo Nordisk has revealed that the anti-obesity medication Wegovy demonstrated a 20% reduction in the risk of heart attack, stroke, and heart-related mortality among individuals who were administered the drug, when compared to those who were given a placebo.
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