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Wegovy's cardiovascular indication: what the US, UK and EU each decided in 2024
In 2024 the same trial, SELECT, produced three different regulatory outcomes for semaglutide (Wegovy): a new indication in the US on 8 March, a new indication in the UK on 23 July, and a product-information update in the EU. Here is what each one means.
On 8 March 2024 the US Food and Drug Administration approved an additional indication for Wegovy (semaglutide) injection: reducing the risk of cardiovascular death, heart attack and stroke in adults with established cardiovascular disease and either obesity or overweight, used alongside a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity.
Source: FDA approves first treatment to reduce risk of serious heart problems specifically in adults with obesity or overweight (8 Mar 2024)
This was an expanded use of a medicine already on the market for weight management, not the approval of a new molecule. The evidence came from the SELECT cardiovascular outcomes trial.
Source: FDA approves first treatment to reduce risk of serious heart problems specifically in adults with obesity or overweight (8 Mar 2024)
On 23 July 2024 the UK's MHRA announced its own approval of semaglutide to reduce the risk of major adverse cardiovascular events in adults with established cardiovascular disease and a body mass index of 27 or more. It is a separate decision with its own wording and population.
Source: MHRA approves GLP-1 receptor agonist semaglutide to reduce risk of serious heart problems in obese or overweight adults (23 Jul 2024)
In the European Union the outcome was different. At its July 2024 meeting the CHMP, the EMA's medicines committee, recommended updating Wegovy's product information to include the SELECT study data rather than adding a separate cardiovascular-prevention indication.
Source: Meeting highlights from the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) 22-25 July 2024 (26 Jul 2024)
Why it matters
The same scientific story produced three different regional labels. A reader in the UK, US or EU needs the regional record, not a headline, to know what Wegovy is actually licensed for where they live. It also shows why GLPInfo records approval, launch and funded access separately: a UK licence for a cardiovascular indication says nothing about whether the NHS funds it.
What remains uncertain
- Funded access for this indication in each jurisdiction is recorded separately and is not established by these approvals.
- Label wording evolves; the current official label in each region is the authority on the exact population.
On the timeline
- United States: FDA adds cardiovascular risk reduction to Wegovy's indications (8 Mar 2024)
- United Kingdom: MHRA approves semaglutide (Wegovy) to reduce the risk of serious heart problems (23 Jul 2024)
- European Union: CHMP recommends adding SELECT cardiovascular study information to Wegovy's product information (July 2024)
About this article. Written by the GLPInfo editorial team with AI assistance from the official sources linked on the page, and approved by the site owner before publication. It has not yet been reviewed by a named clinician. Published 13 Sep 2026. Information, not medical advice: decisions about any medicine sit with you and a qualified prescriber. Spotted an error? Report a correction.