Novo Nordisk Announces Positive Phase 3 Results for Semaglutide in Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction, Demonstrating 13.3% Average Weight Loss Over One Year

Recently, the 2023 European Society of Cardiology (ESC) Congress is being held in the Netherlands. On August 25, Novo Nordisk presented the phase 3 STEP HFpEF trial data on semaglutide at the meeting.

Study results show that semaglutide 2.4mg is superior to placebo in alleviating symptoms and physical limitations in obese patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF).

In the STEP HFpEF study, semaglutide administered once weekly for over a year led to an average weight loss of 13.3% in patients, compared to only a 2.6% average weight reduction in the placebo group.

In addition, semaglutide significantly improved patient scores on the Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire, a measure of HFpEF symptoms and physical limitations.

According to the study results published on the same day in The New England Journal of Medicine, GLP-1 agonists can also improve patients' motor function and reduce their weight to a greater extent.

Patients with HFpEF have normal myocardial contraction but impaired diastolic function of the heart ventricles. In contrast, patients with reduced ejection fraction cannot contract their myocardium properly. Both conditions lead to decreased blood flow.

Novo Nordisk noted in a press release last Friday that HFpEF is the most common type of heart failure, accounting for 50% of all heart failure cases. Approximately 80% of patients with HFpEF are overweight or obese, and experience an increased symptom burden, reduced physical function, and a lower quality of life.

STEP HFpEF trial lead investigator Dr. Mikhail Kosiborod said in a statement that the Phase III trial of semaglutide for heart failure has achieved positive results.This suggests that the fundamental paradigm for selecting potential treatment options for HFpEF in obese populations by cardiologists will shift, offering new therapeutic choices for HFpEF patients, particularly those who are overweight or obese.

Moreover, another medical doctor, Yigal Pinto, who participated in the trial, added that it remains to be determined how these research findings translate into endpoints, butIt is crucial to determine the role of GLP-1 agonism compared to SGLT2 inhibition in patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction.

According to data previously released by Novo Nordisk, semaglutide can reduce the risk of cardiovascular events by 20% in obese populations. In addition to weight loss, semaglutide has beneficial effects on various metabolic and hemodynamic disorders commonly seen in the HFpEF obesity phenotype, including insulin resistance, inflammation, and hypertension. In patients with type 2 diabetes, semaglutide reduced the risk of MACE, demonstrating not only its cardiovascular safety but also its cardiovascular benefits.

Source:
1、Novo's Wegovy posts trial win in patients with heart failure (fiercepharma.com)
2. Novo Nordisk Official Website

Editor: Bai Ji

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