Peptide News Digest

#Wegovy-Hd

3 stories

Industry · View digest

Novo Nordisk US Operations EVP Jamey Millar Statement (July 1): Wegovy Access Expanded for Medicare Beneficiaries Through the Bridge; All Doses and Formulations of Wegovy Injection and Wegovy Pill Available Nationwide, Company Flags Cardiovascular-Outcome Evidence as Distinguishing Feature for Seniors 65+ with Known Heart Disease

Novo Nordisk US Operations EVP Jamey Millar released a formal statement Wednesday July 1, 2026, framing the Medicare GLP-1 Bridge as 'an important step in getting Wegovy to more patients' and committing to continued work with CMS, healthcare professionals, pharmacists, and patient advocates on Bridge implementation. Millar's cardiovascular-outcome framing was the piece of the statement designed to distinguish Wegovy from competitor GLP-1s under the Bridge: 'Obesity is a serious, common chronic disease facing older Americans, and Wegovy is the only weight management medicine proven to reduce the risk of heart attack, stroke, or cardiovascular death in patients who also have known heart disease. That distinction matters for seniors age 65 and older, who have a high burden of both conditions.' The SELECT trial data (2023-2024) underpin the cardiovascular claim. The Bridge covers all doses and formulations of Wegovy injection (including the 7.2 mg Wegovy HD launched April 2026) and Wegovy pill (1.5, 4, 9, and 25 mg oral tablets, launched January 5, 2026 and reaching 3 million prescriptions by June 7). The program is available nationwide across all US states and territories through December 31, 2027. PharmExec and PR Newswire ran the announcement.

Regulatory · View digest

Novo Nordisk Wegovy HD 7.2 mg CHMP Positive Opinion (May 22): EMA Recommends EU Approval for High-Dose Injectable Semaglutide With 20.7% STEP UP Weight Loss, Q3 2026 EU Launch

Novo Nordisk announced May 22 that the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) at the European Medicines Agency adopted a positive opinion recommending marketing authorization of Wegovy 7.2 mg in a single-dose pen for adults living with obesity. Wegovy 7.2 mg is the high-dose once-weekly injectable formulation already available in the US as Wegovy HD. The STEP UP Phase 3 trial demonstrated 20.7% mean weight loss with the 7.2 mg dose, with approximately one in three participants experiencing ≥25% weight loss; in the STEP UP T2D trial, the same dose produced 14.1% mean weight loss in adults with obesity and type 2 diabetes. Novo expects to launch Wegovy 7.2 mg in the EU in Q3 2026. The CHMP opinion arrived the same day as the parallel positive recommendation for Wegovy pill (oral semaglutide 25 mg) — completing Novo's twin EU regulatory wins for the higher-dose injectable and the oral formulation simultaneously.

Clinical Trials · View digest

Wegovy HD 7.2 mg Q1 Contribution: STEP UP Trial 21% Mean Weight Loss at 72 Weeks Anchors Premium-Tier Adoption

Novo Nordisk's Q1 print clarified that Wegovy HD (semaglutide 7.2 mg injection) — approved by the FDA in March and launched in the US on April 7 — is contributing to the premium-tier injectable mix alongside the standard 2.4 mg dose. The STEP UP trial showed 21% mean weight loss at 72 weeks if all patients stayed on treatment (19% regardless), with 89% on 7.2 mg achieving ≥5% body-weight reduction versus 38% with placebo. The label requires four-plus weeks of tolerability on semaglutide 2.4 mg before stepping up. NovoCare prices the 7.2 mg dose at $399/month self-pay and as low as $25 for many commercially insured patients via the savings offer. Dysesthesia at 22% on 7.2 mg vs. 6% on 2.4 mg and 0.3% on placebo is the only meaningful safety signal beyond the broader GLP-1 class.