Novo's Diabetes Drug Victoza Shows Heart Benefit in Trial
- Victoza reduced deaths from heart attacks, strokes in study
- Shares gain as much as 9.8 percent in Copenhagen trading
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Novo Nordisk A/S’s blockbuster medicine Victoza was effective in protecting diabetics from heart attacks and strokes in a key study that may propel sales of the injectable drug and allow it to take market-share from oral alternatives.
Victoza “significantly” reduced the risk of heart attacks, strokes and cardiovascular deaths in a trial of more than 9,000 patients with type 2 diabetes, 81 percent of whom have cardiovascular disease, Novo said in a statement on Friday. That exceeded the goal of the study, dubbed Leader, which was to show that the drug doesn’t increase heart risk. Novo didn’t specify the magnitude of the reduction in the statement.