Novo Nordisk’s latest analysis of their long-term weight loss study on Wegovy has revealed promising results for obesity patients without diabetes. The study, which included 17,604 participants, showed that patients maintained an average weight loss of 10% over four years while taking Wegovy. This groundbreaking research was published in Nature Medicine and presented at the European Congress on Obesity in Venice, Italy.
Martin Holst Lange, Novo’s development head, expressed optimism about the findings, stating that once the majority of weight loss is achieved, patients do not regain the weight as long as they continue taking the drug. Additionally, a related analysis based on the same data showed that Wegovy also had benefits for the heart, reducing the risk of stroke by 20% in overweight or obese individuals with a history of heart disease.
Despite these positive outcomes, the study did note some downsides to taking Wegovy, with about 17% of participants leaving the study early due to stomach-related issues like nausea. However, Novo has made Wegovy available in 10 countries, including the U.S., Norway, Japan, and Spain, with prices ranging from $200 to almost $2,000 per month.
The news of Wegovy’s long-term effectiveness and heart benefits could potentially lead to broader insurance coverage for Novo’s weight loss drugs in countries like the U.S. and the U.K. Costco has even created a program to provide direct access to Ozempic and Wegovy for its members. Novo reported that at least 25,000 people in the U.S. are starting Wegovy each week, highlighting the growing popularity and demand for these innovative weight loss medications.