Semaglutide - Prevention of cardiovascular events

Semaglutide injections (Wegovy brand) was agreed by the APC for use in line with NICE TA1152: Semaglutide for reducing the risk of major adverse cardiovascular events in people with cardiovascular disease and overweight or obesity.

Semaglutide (up to a maintenance dose of 2.4 mg once weekly) can be used, within its marketing authorisation, alongside a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity, as an option for reducing the risk of a major adverse cardiovascular event (that is, cardiovascular death, non-fatal myocardial infarction or non-fatal stroke) in adults with both:

• established cardiovascular disease (CVD), defined as at least 1 of the following:

• • previous myocardial infarction
  • previous ischaemic or haemorrhagic stroke
  • symptomatic peripheral arterial disease (they have intermittent claudication with an ankle-brachial index of less than 0.85 at rest, or have had a peripheral arterial revascularisation procedure or an amputation because of atherosclerotic disease), and
• a body mass index (BMI) of at least 27 kg/m2.