British health officials have approved weight-loss drug Wegovy to be used to prevent heart attacks and strokes in overweight people, the first such medication approved in the UK by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) for those with “established cardiovascular disease”.
This means it can be prescribed to people with a body mass index (BMI) score of 27 or over who have already been diagnosed with cardiovascular disease, reports The Independent.
Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy had significantly reduced the risk of major adverse cardiovascular events by 20% in trials, and the MHRA approval is a step towards the medication now being used in the NHS.
Before being used on a widespread basis in the health service, though, it still needs to be appraised by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE).
Shirley Hopper, MHRA’s deputy director of innovative medicines, said: “We’re assured that the appropriate regulatory standards of safety, quality and effectiveness for the approval of this medicine have been met. 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 British Heart Foundation, said that nearly two-thirds of adults in England carry excess weight or are obese.
“Those who also have an established cardiovascular disease live with a very high risk that a serious event like a heart attack or stroke could happen,” he said.
“Studies have shown us that semaglutide is an effective tool that can improve the quality of life for those with CVD, including by lowering the risk of serious cardiac events.”
The Independent article – Weight-loss jab to be used to prevent other health problems (Open access)
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