The popular weight-loss drug Wegovy can now be used to reduce the risk of stroke, heart attacks and other serious heart problems in patients who are overweight or who have obesity.
FILE - This image provided by Novo Nordisk in January 2023, shows packaging for the company's Wegovy medication. The popular weight-loss drug, which has helped millions of Americans shed pounds, can now be used to reduce the risk of stroke, heart attacks and other serious cardiovascular problems in patients who are overweight or who have obesity, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said Friday, March 8, 2024.
The move will change the way many heart patients are treated, said Dr. Martha Gulati, a cardiologist at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. It confirms that the new class of obesity medications are useful for improving health, not just losing weight. Novo Nordisk has also asked European Union regulators to expand the use of the drug for heart problems. EU regulators have not weighed in on the request.
The new indication could increase coverage of the drug by Medicare, experts said. The federal health insurance program for older Americans is currently barred by law from covering drugs for weight loss alone. The agency spent nearly $3 billion in 2021 covering Ozempic to treat diabetes, according to latest available figures.
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