By The Financial District
Mar 111 min
The FDA has approved a label change for the weight-loss drug Wegovy, allowing it to be used to reduce the risk of stroke, heart attacks, and other serious cardiovascular problems in overweight or obese patients, as reported by Jonel Aleccia for the Associated Press (AP).
Wegovy is now the first medication approved to help prevent such potentially life-threatening events in this patient population.
The decision follows a study showing that Wegovy, which contains semaglutide, significantly decreased the risk of serious heart problems, including heart attack, stroke, and heart-related deaths.
Patients with heart disease but not diabetes who were overweight or obese were found to be 20% less likely to experience these issues compared to those who took placebo shots.
This approval marks a significant advancement in public health, according to Dr. John Sharretts, director of the FDA's division of diabetes, lipid disorders, and obesity. Wegovy is now the first medication approved to help prevent such potentially life-threatening events in this patient population.