Danish pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk (NVO.US) announced on Thursday that the European Medicines Agency (EMA) supports the use of Wegovy to reduce the main risk of heart disease and stroke in overweight or obese adult without diabetes.

Just two days ago, Wegovy received a similar approval from the UK regulatory agency, while the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the drug earlier this year for the prevention of cardiovascular events in obese people.

Novo Nordisk stated that it will update the label or prescription information for Wegovy in the European Union in approximately one month.

Data from a late-stage trial showed that compared with placebo, Wegovy reduced the risk of major cardiovascular events such as heart attacks and strokes by 20%, supporting the expanded indications for Wegovy.

Novo Nordisk said the trial recruited 17,604 adults in 41 countries.

The active ingredient of Novo Nordisk's best-selling diabetes drug Ozempic and weight loss drug Wegovy is semaglutide, which belongs to the GLP-1 agonist drug class.

The demand for GLP-1 agonist drugs has surged, leading Novo Nordisk and rival Eli Lilly and Co (LLY.US) to face supply constraints. Both companies have been increasing their production.

Analysts estimate that sales of this class of drugs will reach $150 billion by the early 2030s.

Eli Lilly has also been testing the impact of its drugs on other health conditions. It is reported that the company announced at the end of June that it has applied to the US for approval of its weight loss drug Zepbound for the most common sleep-related breathing disorders, and regulatory agencies are expected to make a decision as early as the end of this year.

It is worth noting that the competition in the market for glucose-lowering and weight-reducing treatments is becoming increasingly fierce, and pharmaceutical companies such as Viking Therapeutics (VKTX.US), Pfizer (PFE.US), and Roche are all trying to develop new drugs to be competitive in the lucrative weight loss drug market. The recent stock prices of "the two giants" Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk have been under pressure.

Since this month, Novo Nordisk's stock price has dropped by more than 10%, and Eli Lilly has fallen by more than 9%.