Novo Nordisk's Wegovy gets UK approval for use to lower heart risks

(Reuters) -Novo Nordisk's weight-loss drug Wegovy secured the UK regulator's approval for its use to reduce the risk of serious heart problems or strokes in overweight and obese adults, the agency said on Tuesday.

Approval from UK's Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) follows a similar nod from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in March.

The MHRA's decision makes Wegovy the first GLP-1 weight-loss drug to be prescribed for prevention of cardiovascular events in people with obesity, the agency said.

"This treatment option that prevents heart disease and strokes is an important step forward in tackling the serious health consequences of obesity," Shirley Hopper, MHRA's deputy director of innovative medicines, said.

More than 7.6 million people in the UK are living with cardiovascular diseases, according to the British Heart Foundation, while in England, around one in six deaths due to heart and circulatory disease are tied to a high body-mass index.

"Weight loss drugs can be key part of our arsenal to help tackle obesity and manage associated risks, but as global supply issues continue to affect these drugs, it is important that treatments are used correctly, in line with licensing, to ensure that patients with type 2 diabetes can receive the medicines they need," said Stephen Powis, NHS National Medical Director.

The agency's approval was based on a trial that showed Wegovy reduced the risk of major cardiovascular events such as heart attack and stroke by 20% compared to placebo.

The study involved more than 17,600 people who were overweight or suffered from obesity, and were given either a once-weekly dose of the drug or placebo for an average of 33 months.

(Reporting by Leroy Leo in Bengaluru and Maggie Fick in London; Editing by Arun Koyyur and Tasim Zahid)