The US Food and Drug Administration has approved Novo Nordisk's weight-loss drug Wegovy for lowering the risk of stroke and heart attack in overweight or obese adults without diabetes. The drug, semaglutide, also reduces food cravings and slows down stomach emptying. This approval is expected to expand the use of Novo's GLP-1 drugs for heart benefits.
The US Food and Drug Administration approved Novo Nordisk ’s weight-loss drug Wegovy on March 8 for lowering the risk of stroke and heart attack in overweight or obese adults who do not have diabetes. Novo’s widely-used diabetes drug Ozempic and weight-loss drug Wegovy , both chemically known as semaglutide, belong to a class of drugs called GLP-1 agonists. Originally developed for type 2 diabetes, they also reduce food cravings and cause the stomach to empty more slowly.
Patients who are obese or overweight are at “a higher risk of cardiovascular death, heart attack and stroke. Providing a treatment option that is proven to lower this cardiovascular risk is a major advance for public health”, said Dr John Sharretts, FDA’s director of the Division of Diabetes, Lipid Disorders, and Obesity. Millions of people already take Novo’s GLP-1 drugs, but the FDA’s stamp of approval for the heart benefits is likely to open their use to more patient
FDA Novo Nordisk Wegovy Weight-Loss Drug Stroke Heart Attack Overweight Obese Diabetes Semaglutide GLP-1 Agonists