• Designed to celebrate diverse, unique portrayals of individuals who partner with their healthcare professional to change the course of their weight-management journey, while educating on the clinical data of Wegovy^®
• Reflects the power of personal journeys to address stigma, and the importance of us all working together to address excess weight and treat obesity

PLAINSBORO, N.J., June 3, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Novo Nordisk today launched The Power of Wegovy^®, a new national campaign. The campaign aims to educate on the clinical data of Wegovy^® (semaglutide) 2.4 mg injection and reflect the collective empowerment people living with obesity can feel when they don't have to manage their weight alone.

Wegovy^® is an injectable prescription medicine used with a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity to reduce the risk of major cardiovascular events such as death, heart attack, or stroke in adults with known heart disease and with either obesity or overweight and that may help adults with obesity or overweight with weight-related medical problems lose excess body weight and keep the weight off. Wegovy^® contains semaglutide and should not be used with other semaglutide-containing products or other GLP-1 receptor agonist medicines. Wegovy^® may cause serious side effects, such as possible thyroid tumors, including cancer. See below for Important Safety Information and a link to the Medication Guide and Prescribing Information.

As we continue to make progress on increasing supply for Wegovy^® (WegovySupply.com) to meet continued demand, Novo Nordisk is equally focused on reinforcing the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved uses for Wegovy^® among patients and the general public, which this campaign will support.

The campaign comes following an update to the FDA-approved label for Wegovy^®, including the removal of body mass index descriptors from the weight-management indication and the addition of a new cardiovascular risk reduction indication for those with obesity or overweight with known heart disease.¹

Novo Nordisk is working hard to ensure access is aligned to both indications. This is alongside broader efforts to expand coverage overall for obesity medications, including recent Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) guidance to cover the Medicare Part D population living with overweight or obesity who also have known heart disease.

"Diverse representation in health care campaigns can play a significant role in patients feeling seen, heard and understood, especially in a stigmatized space like obesity, which we've been engaged in for more than two decades," said Tejal Vishalpura, Senior Vice President, Commercial Strategy and Marketing for Novo Nordisk. "The Power of Wegovy^® is committed to representing a cross section of unique perspectives at this cultural inflection point in society, especially when the connection between obesity, cardiovascular risk, and the importance of patient-centered care is so much a part of the public discourse."

Although coverage for obesity medications has improved, cost and access remain important considerations. As such, the Power of Wegovy^® campaign reinforces that people should check cost and prescription insurance coverage to have an informed conversation with a healthcare professional. More than 80% of people with commercial insurance coverage using the Wegovy^® savings offer pay $25 or less per month. It's important to recognize that overall demand will continue to exceed supply which means that some patients may still have difficulty filling Wegovy^® prescriptions. We will continue to closely monitor market dynamics and prescribing trends.

Novo Nordisk continues to prioritize responsible use of its medicines. Wegovy^® is the only semaglutide-containing medicine approved for weight management. Wegovy^® is the first and only weight management medicine that is also FDA-approved to lower the risk of major cardiovascular events such as death, heart attack, or stroke in adults with known heart disease and either obesity or overweight.

About Wegovy^® (semaglutide) injection 2.4 mg 

What is Wegovy^®?

WEGOVY^® (semaglutide) injection 2.4 mg is an injectable prescription medicine used with a reduced calorie diet and increased physical activity:

• to reduce the risk of major cardiovascular events such as death, heart attack, or stroke in adults with known heart disease and with either obesity or overweight.
  
  
• that may help adults and children aged 12 years and older with obesity, or some adults with overweight who also have weight-related medical problems, to help them lose excess body weight and keep the weight off.

Wegovy^® contains semaglutide and should not be used with other semaglutide-containing products or other GLP-1 receptor agonist medicines.

It is not known if Wegovy^® is safe and effective for use in children under 12 years of age.

Important Safety Information

What is the most important information I should know about Wegovy^®?

Wegovy ^® may cause serious side effects, including:

• Possible thyroid tumors, including cancer. Tell your healthcare provider if you get a lump or swelling in your neck, hoarseness, trouble swallowing, or shortness of breath. These may be symptoms of thyroid cancer. In studies with rodents, Wegovy^® and medicines that work like Wegovy^® caused thyroid tumors, including thyroid cancer. It is not known if Wegovy^® will cause thyroid tumors or a type of thyroid cancer called medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) in people
  
  
• Do not use Wegovy^® if you or any of your family have ever had a type of thyroid cancer called medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) or if you have an endocrine system condition called Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia syndrome type 2 (MEN 2)

Do not use Wegovy^® if:

• you or any of your family have ever had a type of thyroid cancer called medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) or if you have an endocrine system condition called Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia syndrome type 2 (MEN 2)
  
  
• you have had a serious allergic reaction to semaglutide or any of the ingredients in Wegovy^®

Before using Wegovy^®, tell your healthcare provider if you have any other medical conditions, including if you:

• have or have had problems with your pancreas or kidneys
  
  
• have type 2 diabetes and a history of diabetic retinopathy
  
  
• have or have had depression, suicidal thoughts, or mental health issues
  
  
• are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. Wegovy^® may harm your unborn baby. You should stop using Wegovy^® 2 months before you plan to become pregnant
  
  
• are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. It is not known if Wegovy^® passes into your breast milk

Tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines you take, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. Wegovy^® may affect the way some medicines work and some medicines may affect the way Wegovy^® works. Tell your healthcare provider if you are taking other medicines to treat diabetes, including sulfonylureas or insulin. Wegovy^® slows stomach emptying and can affect medicines that need to pass through the stomach quickly.

What are the possible side effects of Wegovy^®?

Wegovy^® may cause serious side effects, including:

• inflammation of your pancreas (pancreatitis). Stop using Wegovy^® and call your healthcare provider right away if you have severe pain in your stomach area (abdomen) that will not go away, with or without vomiting. You may feel the pain from your abdomen to your back
  
  
• gallbladder problems. Wegovy^® may cause gallbladder problems, including gallstones. Some gallstones may need surgery. Call your healthcare provider if you have symptoms, such as pain in your upper stomach (abdomen), fever, yellowing of the skin or eyes (jaundice), or clay-colored stools
  
  
• increased risk of low blood sugar (hypoglycemia), especially those who also take medicines for diabetes such as insulin or sulfonylureas. This can be a serious side effect. Talk to your healthcare provider about how to recognize and treat low blood sugar and check your blood sugar before you start and while you take Wegovy^®. Signs and symptoms of low blood sugar may include dizziness or light-headedness, blurred vision, anxiety, irritability or mood changes, sweating, slurred speech, hunger, confusion or drowsiness, shakiness, weakness, headache, fast heartbeat, or feeling jittery
  
  
• kidney problems (kidney failure). In people who have kidney problems, diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting may cause a loss of fluids (dehydration), which may cause kidney problems to get worse. It is important for you to drink fluids to help reduce your chance of dehydration
  
  
• serious allergic reactions. Stop using Wegovy^® and get medical help right away, if you have any symptoms of a serious allergic reaction, including swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat; problems breathing or swallowing; severe rash or itching; fainting or feeling dizzy; or very rapid heartbeat
  
  
• change in vision in people with type 2 diabetes. Tell your healthcare provider if you have changes in vision during treatment with Wegovy^®
  
  
• increased heart rate. Wegovy^® can increase your heart rate while you are at rest. Tell your healthcare provider if you feel your heart racing or pounding in your chest and it lasts for several minutes
  
  
• depression or thoughts of suicide. You should pay attention to any mental changes, especially sudden changes in your mood, behaviors, thoughts, or feelings. Call your healthcare provider right away if you have any mental changes that are new, worse, or worry you

The most common side effects of Wegovy^® may include: nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, constipation, stomach (abdomen) pain, headache, tiredness (fatigue), upset stomach, dizziness, feeling bloated, belching, low blood sugar in people with type 2 diabetes, gas, stomach flu, heartburn, and runny nose or sore throat.

Please see Medication Guide and Prescribing Information, including Boxed Warning, for Wegovy^® at https://www.novo-pi.com/wegovy.pdf

About Novo Nordisk

Novo Nordisk is a leading global healthcare company that's been making innovative medicines to help people with diabetes lead longer, healthier lives for more than 100 years. This heritage has given us experience and capabilities that also enable us to drive change to help people defeat other serious chronic diseases such as obesity, rare blood, and endocrine disorders. We remain steadfast in our conviction that the formula for lasting success is to stay focused, think long-term, and do business in a financially, socially, and environmentally responsible way. With U.S. headquarters in New Jersey and commercial, production and research facilities in seven states plus Washington DC, Novo Nordisk employs approximately 8,000 people throughout the country. For more information, visit novonordisk-us.com, Facebook, Instagram, and X.

Novo Nordisk is committed to the responsible use of our semaglutide-containing medicines which represent distinct products with different indications, dosages, prescribing information, titration schedules, and delivery forms. These products are not interchangeable and should not be used outside of their approved indications. Learn more at Semaglutide.com. 

Reference

1. Wegovy^® (semaglutide) injection 2.4 mg Prescribing Information. Plainsboro, NJ: Novo Nordisk Inc.