The new label expansion for Wegovy indicates that it can be used to reduce major heart complications including heart attack, stroke or cardiovascular-related deaths by 20% in this population.
Wegovy is a weight loss drug approved by the FDA for reducing cardiovascular risks in overweight people with heart disease.
Wegovy, a weight loss drug approved by the FDA for reducing cardiovascular risks in overweight people with heart disease, is now being used to reduce the risk of major heart complications including heart attack, stroke or cardiovascular-related deaths. The new label expansion for Wegovy indicates that it can be used to reduce these risks by 20% in this population. This approval opens up a new market for weight loss drugs and could greatly expand older adults' access to treatments that so far have been limited.
GLP-1s mimic a hormone produced in the gut to suppress appetite and regulate blood sugar
Roughly 110 million American adults are living with obesity and approximately 50 million of them have insurance coverage for weight loss drugs
The new label expansion for Novo Nordisk's Wegovy indicates that it can be used to reduce the risk of major heart complications including heart attack, stroke, or cardiovascular-related deaths in people with overweight or obesity and existing heart disease.
Wegovy is now approved by federal regulators for reducing the risk of cardiovascular problems by 20% in that population.
Accuracy
Wegovy is now approved for heart health
Deception
(30%)
The article is deceptive in several ways. Firstly, the author claims that Wegovy is now approved for heart health but fails to mention that it was already approved by the FDA for weight loss last year. This creates a false impression of newness and importance when in fact it has been available for some time. Secondly, the article quotes experts who claim that insurers may not cover Wegovy due to its high price tag but fails to mention that many insurance plans already cover similar drugs with lower prices or have coverage restrictions on weight loss treatments. This creates a false impression of difficulty in obtaining coverage when it is actually widely available. Lastly, the article quotes John Crable as saying that more benefits from weight loss drugs will pressure insurers to include them in formularies but fails to mention that there is no scientific evidence supporting this claim.
The author claims Wegovy is now approved for heart health when it was already approved by the FDA for weight loss last year. This creates a false impression of newness and importance.
Fallacies
(70%)
The article contains an appeal to authority fallacy when it quotes John Crable, senior vice president of Corporate Synergies. The author also uses inflammatory rhetoric by stating that the approval may not translate to wider insurance coverage just yet and that some plans will take notice of Wegovy's new approval and start assessing whether to cover the treatment when they next update their formularies, which could mean difficult decisions ahead for insurers. The author also uses a dichotomous depiction by stating that while some employers are reluctant to cover Wegovy due to its hefty $1,350 monthly price tag and other questions such as how long patients actually stay on the treatment, others will take notice of Wegovy's new approval and start assessing whether to cover it. The author also uses an informal fallacy by stating that coverage for those treatments when used for weight loss is a mixed bag.
John Crable, senior vice president of Corporate Synergies
The more benefits that come from weight loss drugs, I think the greater the pressure is going to be to start including those drugs in a formulary and cover them in standard insurance plans
roughly 110 million American adults are living with obesity and approximately 50 million of them have insurance coverage for weight loss drugs
Bias
(75%)
The article discusses the approval of Wegovy for heart health and how it may not translate to wider insurance coverage. The author mentions that some employers and other health plans are reluctant to cover Wegovy due to its high price tag and questions about long-term use. They also mention that insurers will likely take notice of the new approval but may still need more evidence before covering it in standard insurance plans.
Victoria Klesty | Reuters In the U.S., Wegovy is no longer just for weight loss.
, The US regulators approved a label expansion for Novo Nordisk’s obesity drug Wegovy to tout its benefits for the heart.
Accuracy
The new label indicates that Wegovy can be used to reduce the risk of major heart complications including heart attack, stroke, or cardiovascular-related deaths for people with overweight or obesity and existing heart disease.
`Wegovy` is now approved in the US for heart health
The SELECT trial showed that Wegovy reduced major cardiac events by 28%
Deception
(80%)
The article is deceptive in several ways. Firstly, the author uses sensationalism by stating that Wegovy can be used to reduce the risk of major heart complications including heart attack, stroke and cardiovascular-related deaths for people with overweight or obesity and existing heart disease. This statement implies a direct causal relationship between taking Wegovy and reducing the risk of these serious health outcomes which is not supported by the evidence presented in the article.
The FDA's statement that this is the first time a weight loss treatment has been approved to also help improve heart outcomes implies that Wegovy can directly cause these improvements, which is not supported by the evidence.
The author uses sensationalism to imply that Wegovy can directly reduce major heart complications including heart attack, stroke and cardiovascular-related deaths for people with overweight or obesity and existing heart disease. This is not supported by the evidence presented in the article.
Fallacies
(85%)
None Found At Time Of
Publication
Bias
(75%)
The article has a moderate amount of bias. The author uses language that implies the drug is effective in reducing cardiovascular problems and improving heart outcomes for people with overweight or obesity and existing heart disease.
This is the first time a weight loss treatment has been approved to also help improve heart outcomes
> Wegovy cut the risk of cardiovascular problems by 20%
Site
Conflicts
Of
Interest (50%)
None Found At Time Of
Publication
Author
Conflicts
Of
Interest (50%)
Elaine Chen has a conflict of interest on the topics of Wegovy and FDA approval as she is reporting for Stat News which is owned by Novonordisk. Additionally, Elaine Chen may have financial ties to Novonordisk as they are mentioned in her article.
Elaine Chen reports for Stat News which is owned by Novonordisk.
Federal regulators recent approval of anti-obesity drug Wegovy to reduce cardiovascular risks in overweight people opens the door for Medicare to cover the pricey treatment for more people
>40% of Medicare enrollees have at least one heart condition, meaning the new Wegovy approval could greatly expand older adults access to a drug that so far has been limited for this group
Accuracy
Medicare is barred from paying for weight-loss drugs, but it can cover the drugs for other approved indications. Those include diabetes, which the new class of GLP-1 agonists were initially approved for
Drugmakers are working to secure the Food and Drug Administration's approval of these drugs for kidney disease, sleep apnea and other conditions that often go hand in hand with obesity
Deception
(30%)
The article is deceptive in several ways. Firstly, the author claims that Medicare can start covering a popular weight-loss drug for more people when it has been barred from paying for weight-loss drugs. Secondly, the author states that Wegovy approval could greatly expand older adults' access to a drug that so far has been limited for this group but fails to mention any other age groups who may benefit from the medication. Thirdly, the article implies that Medicare prescription drug plans will likely wait until after CMS makes its determination on how it will cover Wegovy despite stating earlier in the article that they can add coverage at any point now. Lastly, there is no mention of any studies or peer-reviewed research linking Wegovy to weight loss and cardiovascular risks.
The author claims that Medicare can start covering a popular weight-loss drug for more people when it has been barred from paying for weight-loss drugs. This is deceptive because Medicare cannot cover the drug, only other approved indications such as diabetes.
The FDA approved semaglutide (Wegovy) for reducing the risk of major heart events in people with overweight or obesity and cardiovascular disease.
Semaglutide is a GLP-1 receptor agonist anti-obesity medication that has several cardiovascular benefits, including lowering the overall risk of major cardiac events by 20%.
The SELECT trial showed that Wegovy reduced heart attacks by 28%, non-fatal strokes by 7%, and cardiovascular-related deaths by 15%. It also lowered death rate from any cause by 19%.
Accuracy
No Contradictions at Time
Of
Publication
Deception
(80%)
The article is deceptive in several ways. Firstly, it states that Wegovy can significantly reduce the risk of major heart events for people with overweight or obesity and a cardiovascular condition who do not have diabetes. However, this statement is misleading because the SELECT trial only included participants with established cardiovascular disease and no history of diabetes. Therefore, it cannot be concluded that Wegovy can reduce the risk of major heart events for people without any prior medical conditions or a diagnosis of diabetes. Secondly, the article states that Wegovy has been approved by the FDA to help people with obesity lose weight. However, this statement is also misleading because there is no evidence in the article to support this claim. The only mention of weight loss is related to semaglutide's ability to lower blood sugar levels in people with type 2 diabetes and its potential for reducing cardiovascular risk associated with overweight and obesity. Finally, the article quotes Dr. Krumholz as saying that Wegovy has enormous benefits for Americans who are eligible for this medication. However, it is not clear what these benefits are or how they can be quantified.
The SELECT trial only included participants with established cardiovascular disease and no history of diabetes.
Fallacies
(100%)
None Found At Time Of
Publication
Bias
(100%)
None Found At Time Of
Publication
Site
Conflicts
Of
Interest (50%)
The article discusses the potential benefits of Semaglutide (Wegovy) for cardiovascular disease and major heart events. The author is Kathy Katella who has a financial interest in Novo Nordisk, which manufactures Ozempic and Semaglutide.
The article mentions that the FDA approved Wegovy to treat type 2 diabetes, but also notes that it may be used off-label for cardiovascular disease. The author does not disclose any financial ties with Novo Nordisk.
, Wegovy is now approved for a new use: reducing the risk of heart attacks, strokes and cardiovascular-related death in adults who have heart disease and are overweight or have obesity.
The US regulators approved a label expansion for Novo Nordisk's obesity drug Wegovy to tout its benefits for the heart.
Wegovy is now available as an option to reduce cardiovascular risks in overweight people.
Accuracy
Wegovy is now approved for a new use: reducing the risk of heart attacks, strokes and cardiovascular-related death in adults who have heart disease and are overweight or have obesity.
Federal regulators recent approval of anti-obesity drug Wegovy to reduce cardiovascular risks in overweight people opens the door for Medicare to cover the pricey treatment for more people
The new label indicates that Wegovy can be used to reduce the risk of major heart complications including heart attack, stroke, or cardiovascular-related deaths for people with overweight or obesity and existing heart disease.
Wegovy carries the risk of side effects such as nausea, diarrhea, constipation, vomiting; low blood sugar in people taking certain other medications for diabetes; pancreas or gallbladder problems; eye problems in people with diabetes; and suicidal behavior or thinking.
Deception
(50%)
The article is deceptive in several ways. Firstly, the title of the article suggests that Wegovy has been approved to reduce heart attack risk when in fact it's only been approved for a new use: reducing the risk of heart attacks, strokes and cardiovascular-related death in adults who have heart disease and are overweight or have obesity. Secondly, the article states that Wegovy is highly effective but costly which leads some employers and health plans to stop covering it or limit access. However, this statement implies that Wegovy has been proven to be effective when in fact there's no clear evidence of its effectiveness beyond weight loss.
The title of the article suggests that Wegovy has been approved to reduce heart attack risk
The article states that Wegovy is highly effective but costly which leads some employers and health plans to stop covering it or limit access.
Fallacies
(70%)
The article contains an appeal to authority fallacy by citing the approval of Wegovy for a new use as evidence that it is effective. The author also uses inflammatory rhetoric when describing the potential benefits of using Wegovy in patients with heart disease and obesity, stating that they can get 'really good outcomes'. Additionally, there are examples of dichotomous depiction by presenting the drug as a solution to a problem (heart attacks) without acknowledging any negative consequences or alternatives. The article also contains an example of inflammatory rhetoric when describing the cost considerations and how they have led some employers and health plans to stop covering or limit access to these medications.
The new indication, which the Food and Drug Administration announced on Friday, will pave the way for even more patients to use the sought-after medication
While it's not clear whether the effect of the drug is purely from weight loss, or whether the drug has other heart benefits
Many of these medications are highly effective but costly: Wegovy has a list price of over $1,300 for about a month's supply
Bias
(100%)
None Found At Time Of
Publication
Site
Conflicts
Of
Interest (50%)
The article discusses the approval of Wegovy by the FDA to reduce heart attack risk. The author has a financial interest in Novo Nordisk, which is mentioned as being involved with weight loss drugs and cardiovascular-related death in adults who have heart disease and are overweight or obese.
Dani Blum has a financial interest in Novo Nordisk.
The article discusses Wegovy's approval by the FDA to reduce heart attack risk. The author mentions Novo Nordisk, which is involved with weight loss drugs and cardiovascular-related death in adults who have heart disease and are overweight or obese.
Author
Conflicts
Of
Interest (50%)
The author has a conflict of interest on the topic of Wegovy and its effect on heart attack risk reduction. The article mentions that Dr. Melanie Jay is involved in research related to obesity at NYU Langone Comprehensive Program on Obesity.
