Novo Nordisk's obesity drug Wegovy cuts risk of heart attack by 57% vs Eli Lilly’s tirzepatide, shows real-world study  

Danish multinational pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk’s obesity drug Wegovy (semaglutide 2.4 mg) cut risk of heart attack, stroke or death by 57% compared to Eli Lilly's rival drug tirzepatide in a real-world study of people with obesity and cardiovascular disease, the company says, citing the data presented at the European Society of Cardiology Congress 2025.

The study also showed a significant 29% reduction in the risk for heart attack, stroke and death from any cause in the semaglutide 2.4 mg users compared with tirzepatide users in all treated people, regardless of any gaps in their treatment.

The STEER real-world study of evidence gathered from actual patient experiences at the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) Congress 2025 in Madrid, Spain, investigated the risk of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) with semaglutide 2.4 mg compared with tirzepatide treatment in people with overweight or obesity and established cardiovascular disease without diabetes.

"Compared with tirzepatide, semaglutide 2.4 mg showed a significant 57% greater risk reduction for heart attack, stroke and cardiovascular-related death or death from any cause, in people with overweight or obesity and cardiovascular disease, who did not have any gaps in their treatment lasting more than 30 days," the company said in a statement.

The company cites the study data to show that there were 15 (0.1%) of these cardiovascular events recorded with semaglutide 2.4 mg, and 39 events (0.4%) were recorded with tirzepatide. The average follow-up duration was 3.8 months for the semaglutide 2.4 mg group and 4.3 months for the tirzepatide group, the company claims.

In all treated people, regardless of any gaps in treatment, semaglutide 2.4 mg showed a significant 29% risk reduction for heart attack, stroke and death from any cause compared with tirzepatide (over an average follow-up of 8.3 months for semaglutide 2.4 mg and 8.6 months for tirzepatide).

“Our landmark trial, SELECT, showed that semaglutide 2.4 mg is associated with a significant 20% risk reduction of cardiovascular events, backed up with even greater risk reductions in the real-world studies SCORE and STEER. The results are clear – STEER demonstrates that semaglutide 2.4 mg cuts the risk of heart attack, stroke or death by 57% compared to tirzepatide,” said Ludovic Helfgott, executive vice president and head of Product & Portfolio Strategy at Novo Nordisk. “This data confirms that semaglutide stands apart as the only available GLP-1-based medication with proven cardiovascular benefits for people living with obesity and cardiovascular disease, without diabetes.”

The STEER study provides important information about how weight-loss treatments affect heart health. It was found that people using semaglutide 2.4 mg had significantly lesser risk of cardiovascular events compared to those using tirzepatide, says Dr Ashwani Mehta, Senior Consultant Cardiologist, Professor, GRIPMER.

"This is a major development for individuals dealing with obesity and heart disease, suggesting that semaglutide 2.4 mg can help with weight loss and also potentially save lives. Studies like STEER are important because they show how these treatments work in real life, outside of strict clinical trials, making the results more relevant for everyday care. This research is a key step in improving heart health and weight management approaches," said Mehta.

Dr Prakash Sanzgiri, MD, DM, Consultant Critical Care & Interventional Cardiologist, Mumbai, said the real-world data presented in the STEER study adds significant value, as it extends beyond controlled trials to provide evidence-based findings. The results clearly indicate that semaglutide 2.4 mg is superior to tirzepatide in reducing cardiovascular events in individuals with overweight or obesity. "Specifically, semaglutide 2.4 mg has demonstrated a much lower risk of serious heart issues, including heart attacks and strokes."