Novo Nordisk's Wegovy Cuts Heart Attack, Stroke Risk by 57% Compared to Tirzepatide in Real-World Study

Novo Nordisk's Wegovy (semaglutide) 2.4 mg has shown a significant 57% greater reduction in the risk of heart attack, stroke, or death from any cause compared to tirzepatide in a real-world study of people with obesity and cardiovascular disease. Wegovy also showed a 29% reduction in the risk for heart attack, stroke, and death from any cause in all treated people, regardless of treatment gaps. The findings support evidence that the cardiovascular benefit of Wegovy is specific to the semaglutide molecule and cannot be generalized to other classes of drugs.

Novo Nordisk's Wegovy (semaglutide) 2.4 mg has shown significant cardiovascular advantages in a real-world study of people with obesity and cardiovascular disease (CVD). The STEER study, presented at the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) Congress 2025, compared Wegovy with tirzepatide and found that Wegovy reduced the risk of heart attack, stroke, or death from any cause by 57% compared to tirzepatide [1]. This benefit was observed regardless of treatment gaps, with a 29% risk reduction in all treated individuals.

The study, which included 10,625 participants from the US Komodo Research database, showed that Wegovy users had fewer cardiovascular events than tirzepatide users. There were 15 events recorded with Wegovy and 39 with tirzepatide over an average follow-up of 3.8 months and 4.3 months, respectively [1]. The findings suggest that the cardiovascular benefits of Wegovy are specific to the semaglutide molecule and cannot be generalized to other GLP-1 or GIP/GLP-1-receptor agonist classes.

The STEER study complements previous clinical trials, such as SELECT, which demonstrated the efficacy of Wegovy in reducing major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) in people with obesity and CVD. These results provide valuable insights into the real-world application of Wegovy and its potential to improve cardiovascular outcomes beyond weight management.

While the study has limitations, such as potential unmeasured confounding and coding inaccuracies, the findings suggest that Wegovy offers a significant advantage in reducing cardiovascular risk in people with obesity and CVD. Further research is needed to fully understand the long-term effects and generalizability of these findings.

References:
[1] https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/novo-nordisks-wegovy-cuts-risk-of-heart-attack-stroke-or-death-by-57-compared-to-tirzepatide-in-real-world-study-of-people-with-obesity-and-cardiovascular-disease-302542590.html