Report: Novo Nordisk's weight-loss drug Ozempic's "sister drug" significantly reduces the risk of heart disease in experiments

Danish pharmaceutical giant Novo Nordisk's diabetes drug Rybelsus (the tablet version of Ozempic) significantly reduced the risk of heart attacks and strokes in a large study. This result may lead to a broader application of the drug globally.

On Monday, according to Bloomberg, Novo Nordisk stated that patients with type 2 diabetes and a history of heart disease, chronic kidney disease, etc., had a 14% lower probability of experiencing cardiovascular events after taking Rybelsus compared to patients taking a placebo.

The company also mentioned that the side effects of Rybelsus were consistent with previous studies, with no new safety concerns identified.

Novo Nordisk's stock price did not show significant fluctuations. As of this year, Novo Nordisk's stock price has risen by approximately 16%.

Martin Holst Lange, head of drug development at Novo Nordisk, pointed out that this study result indicates that Rybelsus can effectively reduce the risk of heart disease even in patients already receiving standard treatment. He mentioned that globally, about one-third of type 2 diabetes patients also have heart disease.

It is worth noting that in recent years, Novo Nordisk has been actively advancing research on its weight loss and diabetes drugs in the cardiovascular field. Last year, another large study showed that Wegovy (a weight loss drug with the same main ingredient as Rybelsus) could reduce the risk of heart attacks and strokes by 20%.

The Rybelsus trial started in 2019 and involved nearly 10,000 patients. During the trial, almost half of the patients also took SGLT-2 inhibitors, another common type of diabetes treatment drug.

Novo Nordisk plans to submit applications to regulatory agencies in the United States and Europe in early 2024, seeking broader use of Rybelsus in the field of cardiovascular risk management