Health Canada has approved Novo Nordisk’s weight-loss drug Wegovy to reduce the risk of non-fatal heart attack, the drug maker says.
Novo Nordisk said Wednesday that Wegovy is the first Health Canada-approved treatment for both chronic weight management and to reduce the risk of non-fatal myocardial infarction.
The treatment reduces the risk of such incidents in adults with established cardiovascular disease and a body mass index equal to or greater than 27 kilograms per metre squared, according to Health Canada’s approval notice
In Canada, heart disease is the second leading cause of death after cancer and a leading cause of hospitalization.
Claims for the diabetes drug Ozempic have seen an astronomical jump in Saskatchewan, and government figures show many are not for Type 2 diabetes. Some users and advocacy groups are pushing for more coverage of weight loss drugs to combat obesity.
The European Union health regulator recently backed the drug for reducing the risk of major cardiovascular events and strokes in overweight or obese adults without diabetes.
Wegovy is also approved in the U.K. and the U.S. to lower the risk of serious heart problems or strokes in overweight and obese adults.
The drug, chemically known as semaglutide, has been authorized in Canada to treat obesity since 2021.