▎WuXiEdited by Kant Content Team

Today, the prestigious medical journal The Lancet released a post-hoc pooled analysis of the weight-loss therapy Wegovy (semaglutide), developed by Novo Nordisk. The analysis shows,In patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF), Wegovy reduced the risk of the composite endpoint of cardiovascular death or worsening heart failure events by 31%.These data support the use of Wegovy as an effective treatment to reduce the risk of clinical heart failure events in patients with HFpEF, for whom current treatment options are relatively limited.

This research publication is a post-hoc pooled analysis of four randomized, placebo-controlled trials (SELECT, FLOW, STEP-HFpEF, and STEP-HFpEF DM).To evaluate the impact of once-weekly subcutaneous injection of Wegovy (except for the FLOW trial, which used a 1.0 mg dose, all other trials used a 2.4 mg dose) on the occurrence of heart failure events in patients.

▲Wegovy Reduces the Risk of Composite Endpoint of Cardiovascular Death or Worsening Heart Failure Events in Patients (Image Source: Reference [1])

In addition,Wegovy also reduces the risk of patients experiencing worsening heart failure events by41%, where 2.8% (n=54/1914) of patients in the Wegovy group experienced events, compared to 4.7% (n=86/1829) in the placebo group. The difference between the two groups was statistically significant (HR=0.59, 95% CI: 0.41–0.82; p=0.0019). Although the analysis showed that Wegovy reduced the risk of cardiovascular death events by18%, but there was no statistically significant difference between the two groups. Among them, 3.1% (n=59/1914) of patients in the Wegovy group had events, compared to 3.7% (n=67/1829, HR=0.82, 95% CI: 0.57–1.16; p=0.25) in the placebo group.

▲Wegovy Reduces the Risk of Heart Failure Worsening Events (Part 1) andCardiovascular Death (Lower)The risk (Image source: Reference [1])

In terms of safety, the proportion of patients receiving Wegovy treatment who experienced serious adverse events (SAD) was lower than that in the placebo group.SAD occurred in 29.9% (n=572) of patients in the Wegovy group and 38.7% (n=708) in the placebo group.

Semaglutide is a GLP-1 receptor agonist that stimulates insulin production, inhibits glucagon secretion, and reduces appetite and food intake.Semaglutide was initially developed as a treatment for type 2 diabetes.ApprovedLaunched (Brand Name: Ozempic), in view of its significant effect on weight loss, the FDA in June 2021ApprovalIt is used to treat ordinary obese patients (trade name: Wegovy),It isThe first new drug approved by the U.S. FDA for controlling common obesity or overweight since 2014.The drugAnd later that same year, it received EU approval for the treatment of obesity indications.。

In March this year, the US FDAApprovalWegovy Injection Reduces the Risk of Cardiovascular Death, Heart Attack, and Stroke in Adults with Cardiovascular Disease and Obesity or Overweight.WegovyShould be used in conjunction with a low-calorie diet and increased physical activity.According to the FDA press release,WegovyThe first weight-loss drug approved to help prevent major cardiovascular events in adults with cardiovascular disease and obesity or overweight.

▲To learn more about the application of cutting-edge technologies in the biopharmaceutical industry, please long press and scan the QR code above to access "WuXi Live Studio" and watch live discussions and exciting replays on related topics.

References:

[1] Kosiborod MK. et. al. “Semaglutide versus placebo in patients with heart failure and mildly reduced or preserved ejection fraction: a pooled analysis of the SELECT, FLOW, STEP-HFpEF, and STEP-HFpEF DM randomised trials”. (2024) The Lancet. DOI：https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(24)01643-X

[2] New Wegovy analysis could boost Novo Nordisk’s bid to expand drug’s label in heart failure. Retrieved August 30, 2024 from https://www.statnews.com/2024/08/30/wegovy-analysis-heart-failure-hfpef/

Disclaimer: The content team of WuXi AppTec focuses on introducing the research progress in global biopharmaceuticals and health. This article is for information exchange purposes only, and the views expressed in the article do not represent the position of WuXi AppTec, nor does it mean that WuXi AppTec supports or opposes the views in the article. This article is not a recommendation for treatment plans. If you need guidance on treatment options, please visit a regular hospital.

Copyright Statement: This article is from the content team of WuXi AppTec. Individuals are welcome to share it on their social media circles, but unauthorized reproduction by media or organizations in any form to other platforms is prohibited. For authorization to reproduce, please reply with "reprint" on the WeChat Official Account of "WuXi AppTec" to obtain reprint guidelines.