Weight-loss drug to help obese patients avoid heart attacks

Health officials have approved the use of weight-loss jab Wegovy to prevent heart attacks and strokes in patients who are overweight.

Semaglutide, sold under the brand name Wegovy, has already been authorised for weight management in people with obesity.

Now the UK’s Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has approved the drug to reduce the risk of heart problems in overweight or obese patients.

It is the first weight-loss drug approved in the UK as a preventative treatment for those with “established cardiovascular disease”, the body said.

The drug, which is not currently available in Australia, can now be prescribed to people with a body mass index (BMI) of 27 or more who have been diagnosed with a cardiovascular disease – conditions relating to the heart of blood vessels.

Wegovy, which has proved a hit with young women seeking to get “beach body ready”, makes people feel fuller and less hungry.

the chance of a healthier future

It is prescribed for the treatment of obesity for weight management alongside diet, physical activity and behavioural support.

The approval comes after a study found the drug – taken as a jab once a week for up to five years – can lower the risk of cardiovascular events such as a heart attack or stroke.

Some 17,600 people took part in the trial and were either prescribed Wegovy or a placebo.

Researchers found the weight-loss drug, manufactured by Novo Nordisk, significantly reduced the risk of major cardiovascular events by 20 per cent.

Analysis by the British Heart Foundation (BHF) found excess weight causes 31,000 heart and circulatory deaths in the UK each year.

This is equivalent to around 85 deaths a day and similar to the proportion caused by a heart attack or stroke attributed to smoking. the approval is a step towards Wegovy being used in the NHS.

But before the drug is used on a widespread basis in the health service it still needs to be appraised by the National Institute for Health and Care excellence (NICE).

Shirley Hopper, the MHRA’s deputy director of innovative medicines, said the body would keep the safety of the drug “under close review”.

She added: “This treatment option that prevents heart disease and strokes is an important step forward in tackling the serious health consequences of obesity.”

Professor Bryan Williams, chief scientific and medical officer at the BHF, said studies had shown the drug “is an effective tool that can improve the quality of life for those with cardiovascular disease”.

Earlier this year, Novo Nordisk warned of supply constraints as it said it was seeing strong demand for its obesity treatments worldwide.

Following the MHRA approval the Danish firm said there was “a significant ongoing need” for treatments to address cardiovascular diseases in overweight or obese patients.

It added: “Novo Nordisk continues to provide a protected supply of Wegovy to the NHS with supply readily available.

“Non-NHS supply will continue to remain constrained and limited for the foreseeable future.”

Professor Sir Stephen Powis, national medical director for NHS England, said if the weight-loss drug was recommended by Nice then the health service could use it “to help reduce cardiovascular risks for highrisk patients’.

This could potentially prevent heart attacks and strokes and give more patients “the chance of a healthier future”, he said.

Sir Stephen added that weightloss drugs “can be key part of our arsenal to help tackle obesity and manage associated risks”.