Wait…Did We Just Find An Obesity Cure?

🚀 The quick version: The drug maker Novo Nordisk is waiting for the results of a first of its kind weight loss study that could change obesity as we know it.

Novo is testing Wegovy, a weekly injection also sold under the brand name Ozempic, in a five year study with results to be released likely in July or August.

The study enrolled 17,500 patients diagnosed overweight or obese with established cardiovascular disease (patients with diabetes were excluded).

The goal is for the study to show a significant reduction in rates of heart attack, stroke, and cardiovascular health, a group of outcomes abbreviated as MACE. Experts say that if the study shows about a 15% reduction or higher then it would be deemed a success.

If the study is a success it will likely open the flood gates for more drugs that target the same hormone with obesity sales potentially reaching more than $50 billion by the end of the decade.

👪 How it affects your family: Up until now, insurers have not been willing to cover these drugs in large part because they say there are no large studies linking them to health benefits.

This study would change that potentially allowing you to get coverage on your plan. Even Medicare, which is legally prohibited from covering obesity medications, would come under pressure to reverse course.

Watch the headlines in the next month or two for results.