Injection pens of Novo Nordisk’s weight-loss drug Wegovy are shown in this photo illustration in Oslo, Norway, Nov. 21, 2023.
Victoria Klesty | Reuters
The Food and Drug Administration on Friday approved Novo Nordisk’s blockbuster weight loss drug Wegovy for use in slashing the risk of serious cardiovascular complications in adults with obesity and heart disease.
Millions of patients already use the popular injectable treatment. But the agency’s decision could widen insurance coverage for the costly drug and similar treatments for obesity, which has been a major barrier to access for patients.
The approval also demonstrates that weight loss drugs have significant health benefits beyond shedding unwanted pounds and regulating blood sugar. Weekly injections of Wegovy slashed the overall risk of heart attack, stroke and death from cardiovascular causes by 20%, according to a landmark late-stage trial on the drug.
Wegovy is now the first-ever weight loss medication to gain an expanded…
2024-03-08 15:51:18
Link from www.cnbc.com