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Novo Nordisk’s highly coveted weight loss drug Wegovy was found to help women with heart failure lose more weight than men who have the same condition, according to a study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology on Sunday.
The study, which Novo Nordisk funded, analyzed data from clinical trials of Wegovy for heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) — a condition where the left ventricle doesn’t contract normally and results in not enough blood circulating in the body.
Surprisingly, even though women lost more weight during the trials, both sexes experienced almost equal heart health benefits.
The trials involved 1,145 participants, half of which were women. According to the analysis, the women enrolled in the trials had higher body mass indexes and worse symptoms of heart failure than the participating men.
Women in the study lost an average of 9.6% of their body weight after taking a weekly 2.4 milligram dose of Wegovy for 52 weeks. Men taking the same treatment lost about 7.2% of body weight.
However, both groups saw their symptoms improve by about 7.5 points on a 0-to-100-point scale.
More than just weight loss drugs
The study comes as both Novo Nordisk and its rival Eli Lilly, the maker of Mounjaro and Zepbound, are testing their popular weight loss drugs for other health benefits.
The Food and Drug Administration expanded the approved use of Wegovy in March to include reducing heart risks for adults who are obese or overweight. The announcement came months after Novo Nordisk announced results from a clinical trial that found the drug cut the risk of serious heart events by 20%.
While current law prohibits Medicare from covering weight loss drugs, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services issued new guidance in March allowing Medicare plans to cover the drugs if they have been approved for an additional use that is already covered by Medicare.
In April, Eli Lilly announced that the drug behind Zepbound was found to help alleviate sleep apnea in patients with obesity in late-stage clinical trials.
Eli Lilly is also currently testing the medication for the treatment of HFpEF. Results for this trial are expected in the second half of the year.