Novo Nordisk has made a splash with its GLP-1 drugs that have allowed patients to achieve significant weight loss. Now the Danish company appears on the verge of another breakthrough, showing that the use of its obesity treatment Wegovy can reduce the risk of heart attack in some patients.
The phase 3 SELECT trial showed that use of Wegovy versus placebo lowered the risk of a non-fatal heart attack by 28% and the risk of progression of chronic kidney disease and renal death by 22%.
Additionally in the study—which included nondiabetic obese and overweight patients with established cardiovascular disease—Wegovy was found to reduce the risk of heart-related death by 15% and the risk of death by any cause by 19%. It also cut the risk of developing diabetes by 73% and the risk of non-fatal stroke by 7%.