BAGSVÆRD, Denmark: Novo Nordisk said its weight-loss drug Wegovy sharply outperformed Eli Lilly's Mounjaro and Zepbound in reducing the risk of major heart problems in overweight and obese patients with cardiovascular disease.

In a real-world study of more than 21,000 patients, Wegovy users saw a 57 percent greater risk reduction for heart attack, stroke, and cardiovascular-related death compared with those on Lilly's drugs. Novo said the results strengthen evidence that the heart-protective benefits of its active ingredient semaglutide may not extend to all GLP-1 treatments, such as tirzepatide, used in Mounjaro and Zepbound.

The analysis, presented at the European Society of Cardiology meeting in Madrid, showed that just 15 Wegovy patients (0.1 percent) experienced a major adverse heart event compared with 39 tirzepatide patients (0.4 percent). Average follow-up was 3.8 months for Wegovy users and 4.3 months for tirzepatide users.

Across all patients, regardless of treatment gaps, Wegovy was linked to a 29 percent lower risk of heart events and death from any cause.

The findings come as Novo faces stiff competition from Lilly, which has been steadily gaining U.S. market share with Zepbound. Wegovy, approved in 2021, made Novo Europe's most valuable company, but in August, the drugmaker imposed a global hiring freeze on non-critical roles amid intensifying industry rivalry. Denmark also cut its 2025 economic growth forecast, citing weaker expectations for Novo's sales.

Both Wegovy and Zepbound dominate the rapidly expanding obesity market, which some analysts forecast will hit US$150 billion by the early 2030s. Wegovy also has an edge with late-stage trial data showing 15 percent weight loss in adults, and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is reviewing a high-dose oral version for potential approval later this year.

Novo cautioned that real-world studies cannot prove cause and effect like randomized clinical trials, and noted the short follow-up as a limitation.