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- 'Draconian' Vietnam internet law heightens free speech fears
- Israeli women mobilise against ultra-Orthodox military exemptions
- Asian markets track Wall St rally as US inflation eases rate worries
- Tens of thousands protest in Serbian capital over fatal train station accident
- Trump vows to 'stop transgender lunacy' as a top priority
- 'Who's next?': Misinformation and online threats after US CEO slaying
- Only 12 trucks delivered food, water in North Gaza Governorate since October: Oxfam
- Langers edge Tiger and son Charlie in PNC Championship playoff
- Explosive batsman Jacobs gets New Zealand call-up for Sri Lanka series
- Holders PSG edge through on penalties in French Cup
- Daniels throw five TDs as Commanders down Eagles
- Atalanta fight back to take top spot in Serie A, Roma hit five
- Mancini admits regrets over leaving Italy for Saudi Arabia
- Run machine Ayub shines as Pakistan sweep South Africa
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- 'Incredible' Liverpool must stay focused: Slot
- Maresca 'absolutely happy' as title-chasing Chelsea drop points in Everton draw
- Salah happy wherever career ends after inspiring Liverpool rout
- Three and easy as Dortmund move into Bundesliga top six
- Liverpool hit Spurs for six, Man Utd embarrassed by Bournemouth
- Netanyahu vows to act with 'force, determination' against Yemen's Huthis
- Ali hat-trick helps champions Ahly crush Belouizdad
- Salah stars as rampant Liverpool hit Spurs for six
- Syria's new leader says all weapons to come under 'state control'
- 'Sonic 3' zips to top of N.America box office
- Rome's Trevi Fountain reopens to limited crowds
- Mbappe strikes as Real Madrid down Sevilla
- Pope again condemns 'cruelty' of Israeli strikes on Gaza
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- Troubled Man Utd humiliated by Bournemouth
- 2 US pilots shot down over Red Sea in 'friendly fire' incident: military
- Man Utd embarrassed by Bournemouth, Chelsea held at Everton
- France awaits fourth government of the year
- Death toll in Brazil bus crash rises to 41
- Odermatt stays hot to break Swiss World Cup wins record
- Neville says Rashford's career at Man Utd nearing 'inevitable ending'
- Syria's new leader vows not to negatively interfere in Lebanon
- Germany pledges security inquest after Christmas market attack
- Putin vows 'destruction' on Ukraine after Kazan drone attack
- Understated Usyk seeks recognition among boxing legends
- France awaits appointment of new government
- Cyclone Chido death toll rises to 94 in Mozambique
- Stokes out of England's Champions Trophy squad
- Gaza rescuers say Israeli strikes kill 28
US FDA approves Wegovy to cut risk of heart problems
The US Food and Drug Administration has given the green light for a popular anti-obesity drug to be used to prevent serious heart conditions for the first time, in a move likely to expand insurance coverage.
Wegovy, produced by Danish pharmaceutical giant Novo Nordisk, was approved "to reduce the risk of cardiovascular death, heart attack and stroke in adults with cardiovascular disease and either obesity or overweight," the FDA said in a statement.
The FDA's decision could be a game changer for the approximately 70 percent of American adults who it says are either obese or overweight, by potentially expanding the pool of people eligible to have their insurance cover these expensive but effective drugs.
"This patient population has a higher risk of cardiovascular death, heart attack and stroke," the director of the FDA's Division of Diabetes, Lipid Disorders and Obesity, said in a statement.
"Providing a treatment option that is proven to lower this cardiovascular risk is a major advance for public health," he added.
The recent surge in popularity of anti-obesity drugs including Wegovy and Ozempic, which mimic a gut hormone to suppress appetite, has padded the profits of the companies that make them.
In fact, Novo Nordisk, which produces both Wegovy and Ozempic, has been so profitable that it has helped to keep the Danish economy afloat, according to Danske Bank.
The pharmaceutical giant's success "is pushing overall activity levels up, while much of the rest of industry and housing construction have contracted," Heidi Schauman, the bank's global head of research, wrote in a note earlier this week.
Novo Nordisk's head of development, Martin Holst Lange, welcomed the FDA's announcement, calling it "an important milestone for people living with obesity and cardiovascular disease."
Wegovy "has the potential to prolong lives by addressing some of the leading causes of preventable deaths by reducing the risks of cardiovascular events," he said in a statement.
F.Moura--PC