Diving overview:

• Novo Nordisk’s weight-loss drug Wigovy lowers cardiovascular symptoms such as fatigue and shortness of breath in people with obesity, diabetes and heart failure, according to clinical trial results detailed Saturday at the American College of Cardiology meeting in Atlanta. It is said that this contributed to the reduction of

• The findings follow another study conducted by Novo in people with obesity and heart failure but not diabetes. The study similarly found that weight loss promoted by Wegovy helped improve symptoms.

• Together, these data could help Novo build a case with regulators and insurers to expand Wegovy’s use and fend off competition from Eli Lilly’s rival drug Zepbound. Lilly’s drug has been shown to help lose weight, but it has not yet been proven to protect heart health.

Dive Insight:

Obese people often develop diabetes and heart failure if their weight gain is not reversed. Heart failure is a condition in which the heart is unable to pump as much blood as it needs. Both diabetes and heart failure require expensive, long-term drug treatments and can require expensive hospitalizations and other medical interventions.

To demonstrate that weight loss with Wegovy works, Novo enrolled 616 people and randomly assigned them to receive a weekly shot of Wegovy or a placebo. The researchers evaluated two key measurements: change in the participant’s score on the Heart Failure Symptom Questionnaire and her weight loss. Both he was evaluated over a period of one year.

Among people who received Wegovy, scores on the 100-point symptom questionnaire decreased by an average of 14 points, significantly higher than the average decrease of 6 points among people who received a placebo. On average, people who received Wegovy lost 10% of their body weight, while those who received a placebo lost 3% of their body weight. This difference was statistically significant.

The trial researchers also assessed changes in how far trial participants could walk in six minutes. Those given Wegovy improved 13 meters, while those given a placebo lost 2 metres.

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In addition, trial researchers created a composite score that included all primary measurements plus death and heart failure complications. Participants treated with Wegovy’s overall scores improved significantly, but researchers say the difference was driven primarily by improved scores on symptom questionnaires.

Detailed results of the study were also published Saturday in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Although Wegovy has a head start over Zepbound, Eli Lilly has a competitive advantage as it has reported greater weight loss in clinical trials for its drug than what Novo did for Wegovy. may have an advantage. However, the two drugs have never been compared in head-to-head trials.

Still, Novo strengthened its market position. The company has shown that weight loss with Wegovy leads to significant reductions in cardiovascular events such as heart attacks and strokes, resulting in expanded Food and Drug Administration approval and expanded Medicare coverage. Now, Wegocy has been shown to benefit heart failure patients as well.

Lilly has ongoing clinical trials targeting heart failure patients and cardiovascular disease outcomes. Data may be available later this year.

High-demand drugs aren’t cheap, at least not at list prices set by manufacturers before rebates and other discounts are taken into account. Wegovy costs approximately $16,000 per year.

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