GLP-1 Diabetes Drug Mounjaro Gets FDA Okay to Reduce Heart Attack and Stroke

“Cardiovascular disease is one of the most common causes of death in patients affected by type 2 diabetes,” says Peminda Cabandugama, MD, an endocrinologist with the Cleveland Clinic and a spokesperson for The Obesity Society who was not involved in Mounjaro’s development. “This approval is in keeping with the direct action of GLP-1 medications and their combinations in reducing this risk.”

Mounjaro Joins the Lineup of Diabetes Meds Showing Heart Health Benefits

Mounjaro Beat Trulicity in Trial Results

The FDA approval was based on results looking at cardiovascular outcomes with Mounjaro and Trulicity, in a trial involving more than 13,000 adults with type 2 diabetes and established atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease who were followed for an average of four years.

The results of the trial demonstrate “meaningful risk reduction” for Mounjaro according to Marilyn Tan, MD, clinical professor of medicine, endocrinology, gerontology and metabolism at Stanford Medicine in Palo Alto, California, who was not involved in the drug development.

Will the FDA Action Expand Insurance Coverage for Mounjaro?

Whether this new FDA authorization will change insurance coverage remains to be seen.

“This new indication may improve and/or expand insurance coverage for such medications, but GLP-1 agonists remain costly, so it’s ultimately up to the individual insurance plans on how they provide coverage,” says Dr. Tan.