Novo Nordisk presented new data at the European Congress on Obesity in Venice, Italy, showcasing the long-term effectiveness of their obesity treatment drug Wegovy. Patients who took Wegovy maintained an average of 10% weight loss after four years, proving the drug’s efficacy in helping individuals to manage their weight. The company hopes that this data will help convince insurers and governments to cover the cost of Wegovy, which can range from $200 to almost $2,000 a month in the countries where it is available.
Wegovy is part of a newer generation of medicines known as GLP-1 agonists, originally developed for diabetes, that offer a new approach to addressing rising obesity rates. Eli Lilly also offers a similar drug called Zepbound in the United States. Both companies have struggled to meet the high demand for these medications. Despite the success of Wegovy, Britain’s public health service has limited coverage of the drug to two years due to concerns about its long-term effectiveness. However, the new data showing weight loss benefits continuing for up to four years may help to address these concerns.
In a large trial involving 17,604 patients, Wegovy was tested for its heart protective benefits for overweight and obese individuals with preexisting heart disease but no diabetes. Participants did not have to track their diet and exercise since it was not a focus of the study. Despite around 17% of participants stopping the use of Wegovy due to side effects, such as nausea, the average weight loss of nearly 10% was sustained over the four-year study period. The data also showed that the heart protective benefits of Wegovy were consistent regardless of the starting weight of the participants and the amount of weight they lost while on the drug.
The Select study, released in August, demonstrated that Wegovy reduced the risk of a major cardiovascular event by 20% in overweight or obese individuals with a history of heart disease. The drug showed benefits beyond weight loss, indicating that the cardiovascular protection provided by semaglutide, the active ingredient in Wegovy, is not solely reliant on weight reduction. Novo is continuing research to understand the mechanisms behind the cardiovascular benefits of Wegovy. Additionally, both Wegovy and Zepbound are being tested for their potential benefits in other medical conditions, such as reducing heart attack risk and managing conditions like sleep apnea and kidney disease.
The efficacy of Wegovy in promoting weight loss was slightly lower in the heart trial compared to earlier obesity studies, but the drug still showed significant benefits for participants. Novo Nordisk hopes that the positive long-term data on the effectiveness of Wegovy will encourage insurers and governments to cover the cost of the drug for individuals struggling with obesity. Despite the potential benefits, the high cost of Wegovy may be a barrier to access for some patients, highlighting the need for additional research and advocacy to make effective obesity treatments more widely available.
