• 02 Sep 2025
• Admin
• News Article

Wegovy Shows Stronger Heart Protection Than Tirzepatide in Real-World Study

Novo Nordisk shared new data from the STEER real-world study at the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) Congress 2025 in Madrid. The study compared Wegovy (semaglutide 2.4 mg) with tirzepatide in people with overweight or obesity and cardiovascular disease (CVD), but no diabetes.

Key Findings from STEER

• Wegovy cut the risk of heart attack, stroke, and death by 57% compared to tirzepatide in patients with no treatment gaps longer than 30 days.
• 15 cardiovascular events (0.1%) were recorded with Wegovy versus 39 events (0.4%) with tirzepatide.
• Average follow-up: 3.8 months (Wegovy) vs 4.3 months (tirzepatide).
• In all treated people, including those with treatment gaps, Wegovy still delivered a 29% risk reduction.
• Follow-up duration: 8.3 months (Wegovy) vs 8.6 months (tirzepatide).

Company Perspective

Ludovic Helfgott, EVP and head of product & portfolio strategy at Novo Nordisk, highlighted:

“Our SELECT trial showed Wegovy cut cardiovascular events by 20%. Now STEER and SCORE prove even greater benefits in real-world settings. Wegovy stands apart as the only GLP-1-based therapy with proven cardiovascular protection in obesity and CVD, without diabetes.”

Why It Matters

• CVD kills nearly 21 million people every year, making it the world’s leading cause of disability and death.
• Obesity worsens cardiovascular outcomes. Two out of three obesity-related deaths link directly to CVD.
• While overall cardiovascular mortality has declined over two decades, obesity-related cardiovascular deaths keep rising.

How STEER Was Designed

• Retrospective, observational real-world study.
• Compared Wegovy and tirzepatide for major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) in US adults with obesity and CVD, no diabetes history.
• Primary outcomes:
  - Revised 5-point MACE: heart attack, stroke, hospitalisation for heart failure, coronary revascularisation, and death from any cause.
  - Revised 3-point MACE: heart attack, stroke, and death from any cause.
• Researchers also studied non-revised 5-point and 3-point MACE, including cardiovascular-related death.

Study Population

• Data source: US Komodo Research database (Jan 2016 – Jan 2025).
• Eligibility: Adults ≥45 years, treatment with Wegovy or tirzepatide starting after 13 May 2022.
• Each treatment group: 10,625 people.
• Researchers used propensity score matching to balance characteristics.
• Main analysis: all treated patients, regardless of treatment gaps.
• Sensitivity analysis: patients without gaps longer than 30 days.

Related Trials and Studies

• SELECT Trial: Randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled. Evaluated Wegovy versus placebo in obesity and CVD, no diabetes. Primary goal: superiority in reducing 3-point MACE.
• SCORE Study: US real-world analysis of Wegovy users vs non-users, matching SELECT inclusion criteria.

Regulatory and Market Position

• EU Approval:
  - Adults with BMI ≥30 (obesity).
  - Adults with BMI ≥27 with at least one comorbidity.
  - Adolescents (≥12 years, >60 kg) with BMI ≥95th percentile.
  - Label includes evidence on MACE reduction, HFpEF symptom relief, and osteoarthritis-related pain reduction.
• US Approval:
  - Adjunct to diet and activity for adults with CVD and obesity or overweight.
  - Long-term weight management for adolescents ≥12 years with obesity and adults with obesity or overweight plus comorbidity.

About Novo Nordisk

Founded in 1923 and headquartered in Denmark, Novo Nordisk is a global healthcare leader. Its mission is to defeat serious chronic diseases, building on a century of diabetes innovation.