Novo Nordisk's (NVO.US) weight loss drug Wegovy has been approved by the UK regulator for use in treating heart disease

After the US, the UK also approved an expanded use of Wegovy, a Novo Nordisk (NVO.US) weight-loss drug, to treat heart disease.

The UK's Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) said British doctors will be able to prescribe the medicine to prevent heart disease or stroke in people who already have heart disease, obesity or diabetes. It is the first prescription drug in the country to be used to prevent heart disease in overweight people.

The FDA expanded a similar label in March.

Shirley Hopper, the MHRA's deputy director of innovative medicines, said the decision marked “an important step forward” in tackling the impact of obesity.

“We are confident that the safety, quality and efficacy of the medicine meet appropriate regulatory standards,” she said in a statement.

“This treatment option for preventing heart disease and stroke is an important step in addressing the serious health consequences of obesity,” she added.

Wegovy, Novo Nordisk's blockbuster injectable weight-loss drug, has already been approved in the UK for obesity and weight management, used with diet, exercise and behavior support.

However, the new approval marks the company's attempt to move beyond Wegovy's image as a “fad drug” and withstand increasing competition.

A late-stage “SELECT” trial published in August showed a 20 per cent reduction in major cardiovascular events compared with a placebo.