Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy weight reduction drug has seen a meteoric rise in popularity.
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LONDON — The U.K.’s health regulator on Tuesday approved the usage of Novo Nordisk‘s Wegovy weight reduction drug to cut back the danger of obese and obese adults affected by serious heart problems or strokes.
The latest approval from the U.K.’s Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) makes the Danish pharmaceutical giant’s GLP-1 obesity drug the primary within the country to be prescribed for prevention of cardiovascular events in individuals with obesity.
It follows similar label expansion by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in March.
Shares of Novo Nordisk were up after the announcement, trading 1.46% higher by 4:10 p.m. London time after pushing higher for much of the session.
The MHRA’s deputy director of modern medicines, Shirley Hopper, said the choice marked an “necessary step forward” in combatting the consequences of obesity.
“We’re assured that the suitable regulatory standards of safety, quality and effectiveness for the approval of this medicine have been met,” Hopper said in a press release.
“This treatment option that stops heart disease and strokes is a crucial step forward in tackling the intense health consequences of obesity,” she added.
Novo Nordisk’s blockbuster Wegovy injection was already approved within the U.K. for treatment of obesity and for weight management, for use alongside food regimen, physical activity and behavioral support.
Nevertheless, the brand new approval marks a serious coup for the corporate because it seeks to maneuver beyond Wegovy’s image as a “vanity drug” and fend off growing competition.
Results of a closely watched late-stage “SELECT” trial, published in August 2023, pointed to the drug’s efficacy in reducing major cardiovascular events by 20% compared with a placebo.
