Green light for weight loss vaccine to prevent heart attacks in UK
Health authorities in the UK have given the green light to a weight-loss vaccine to be used to prevent heart attacks and strokes in overweight people.
Semaglutide, sold under the brand name Wegovy, is already approved for weight management in people with obesity.
Now the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has approved the drug for a new purpose: helping to reduce the risk of heart problems in people who are overweight or obese.
It is the first weight-loss drug to be approved in the UK as a preventive treatment for people with “established cardiovascular disease”, the MHRA said.
This means that the drug can be prescribed to people with a body mass index (BMI) of 27 or higher who have already been diagnosed with cardiovascular disease. This term describes conditions of the heart and blood vessels.
The drug makes people feel fuller and less hungry. It is prescribed for the treatment of obesity for weight management in addition to diet, physical activity and behavioral support.
A recent study has found that the drug, which is given as an injection once a week for up to five years, can reduce the risk of serious cardiovascular events such as heart attack and stroke.
The 17,600 people who took part in the trial were prescribed either Wegovy or a dummy drug, also known as a placebo. Researchers found that Wegovy, which is made by Novo Nordisk, significantly reduced the risk of major adverse cardiovascular events by 20%.
The MHRA approval is a step towards the drug being used in the NHS. Before it is widely used in healthcare, it still has to be assessed by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice).
Shirley Hopper, MHRA deputy director of innovative medicines, said: “We are confident that the appropriate regulatory standards for safety, quality and effectiveness have been met for the approval of this medicine.
“This treatment option that prevents heart disease and stroke is an important step forward in addressing the serious health consequences of obesity. As with all medicines, we will continue to monitor its safety closely.”
Commenting on the announcement, Prof Bryan Williams, scientific and medical director at the British Heart Foundation, said: “It is important that people who use the medicine to lose weight and improve their health receive the support they need from healthcare professionals to maintain these improvements in the future.
“This means appropriate training and development of healthcare staff, along with policies to create a broader environment that supports everyone to stay as healthy as possible. Taken together, this can help save lives from the devastating impact of heart attacks and strokes.”
Prof Sir Stephen Powis, NHS England’s national medical director, said: “Weight loss medicines can be an important part of our arsenal to tackle obesity and manage the risks associated with it, but as global supply issues continue to affect these medicines, it is important that treatments are used correctly, in line with the licensing, to ensure patients with type 2 diabetes can get the medicines they need.”