Novo Nordisk: "Weight-loss miracle drug" Semaglutide can alleviate heart failure symptoms in diabetic patients

Novo Nordisk's popular weight-loss drug Wegovy (semaglutide) has shown in the latest large-scale clinical trials to effectively alleviate symptoms in heart failure patients with diabetes, further supporting the potential of Wegovy in treating obesity-related diseases.

A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine last Saturday reported that patients using Wegovy experienced significantly reduced fatigue, decreased leg swelling, improved breathing, and walked a longer distance in the 6-minute walk test compared to the placebo group. Additionally, these patients reported fewer severe health issues.

This study is one of the latest outcomes in a series of large trials conducted by Novo Nordisk, aiming to validate Wegovy's effectiveness in treating various obesity-related health issues including osteoarthritis and cardiovascular diseases. Novo Nordisk hopes to leverage these research findings to persuade cost-conscious insurance companies to cover the monthly cost of around $1350 for the drug.

The heart failure study published this week focused on "heart failure with preserved ejection fraction" - a condition where the heart's lower chambers fail to pump enough blood to the body. In the United States, approximately 3 million people are affected by this condition, with a global estimate of up to 32 million patients. According to a review in JAMA last year, the annual mortality rate of this disease is around 15%.

Novo Nordisk first disclosed preliminary results of the heart failure study when releasing its fourth-quarter financial report in January this year. The trial targeted obese but non-diabetic heart failure patients. The results of the two trials have been submitted for review to regulatory authorities in the United States and Europe in January