The FDA has approved Novo Nordisk's drug, Ozempic, to be used to reduce the risk of cardiovascular events such as heart attack or stroke in adults with Type 2 diabetes who have a known history of heart disease.
Cardiovascular disease is the main cause of death or disability among Type 2 diabetes patients, the drugmaker said. Type 2 diabetics are two to four times more likely to develop cardiovascular disease than those without diabetes.
Ozempic is an injectable drug that was first approved in December 2017 to improve blood sugar levels in adults with Type 2 diabetes. It is only approved for people ages 18 and over.
Read the full news release here.