Novo Nordisk's Wegovy outperforms Eli Lilly's Zepbound in real-world heart disease study.

Novo Nordisk's Wegovy has been found to reduce serious heart issues such as stroke by over 50% compared to Eli Lilly's Zepbound in a real-world study. This suggests that Wegovy may be a more effective treatment for heart diseases. The study's results are significant, as both drugs are being developed for weight loss and cardiovascular health.

A recent real-world study has revealed that Novo Nordisk's Wegovy (semaglutide) significantly outperforms Eli Lilly's Tirzepatide (Zepbound) in reducing serious heart issues such as stroke. The study, presented at the European Society of Cardiology Congress 2025, found that Wegovy reduced the risk of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) by 57% compared to Tirzepatide [1].

The study, known as STEER, evaluated the efficacy of Wegovy versus Tirzepatide for preventing MACE in US adults with overweight or obesity and established cardiovascular disease (CVD) without diabetes. The primary outcome measure was the revised 5-point MACE, which includes heart attack, stroke, hospitalization for heart failure, coronary revascularization, and death from any cause. The study also looked at the revised 3-point MACE, which includes heart attack, stroke, and death from any cause.

The results are significant as both drugs are being developed for weight loss and cardiovascular health. While Tirzepatide has shown superior weight loss efficacy, Wegovy's cardiovascular risk reduction profile positions it as a safer and more versatile therapy for patients with complex comorbidities.

The STEER study, a retrospective, observational real-world study, included people from the US Komodo Research database. Each treatment group comprised 10,625 people, and researchers used propensity score matching to ensure both groups were comparable. The average follow-up duration was 3.8 months for the Wegovy group and 4.3 months for the Tirzepatide group.

The study's findings suggest that Wegovy's cardiovascular benefits are specific to the semaglutide molecule and cannot be extended to other GLP-1 or GIP/GLP-1-based treatments. This data confirms that semaglutide stands apart as the only available GLP-1-based medication with proven cardiovascular benefits for people living with obesity and cardiovascular disease, without diabetes.

For investors and financial professionals, the study's results highlight the strategic advantages of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy in the obesity-drug sector. The company's ability to leverage real-world evidence for regulatory and commercial differentiation, combined with its strong balance sheet and global distribution network, makes it a resilient long-term play.

References:
[1] https://www.ainvest.com/news/wegovy-cardiovascular-edge-novo-nordisk-buy-long-term-growth-2508/
[2] https://finance.yahoo.com/news/novo-nordisk-wegovy-cuts-risk-070900476.html