Canada approves new obesity drug to reduce risk of non-fatal heart attack

A dosage of Wegovy is seen in Front Royal, Va., on Friday, March 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Amanda Andrade-Rhoades)

Canada's health regulator has approved Novo Nordisk's weight loss drug Wegovy to reduce the risk of nonfatal heart attack or myocardial infarction in some adults, the Danish drugmaker said on Wednesday.

Wegovy has become the first approved treatment in Canada to address both obesity and the risk of heart-related conditions in adults with established cardiovascular disease, according to Novo.

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.

(Reporting by Mariam Sunny in Bengaluru; Editing by Tasim Zahid)