Novo Nordisk A/S ( NVO ) on Sunday presented data from the STEER real-world study of evidence gathered from actual patient experiences at the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) Congress 2025.

The STEER study investigated the risk of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) with Wegovy (semaglutide) 2.4 mg compared with tirzepatide treatment in people with overweight or obesity and established cardiovascular disease (CVD) without diabetes.

Compared with Eli Lilly ( LLY ) and Co.’s tirzepatide (Zepbound, Mounjaro), Wegovy 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 CVD, while on treatment with no treatment gaps of more than 30 days. 

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There were 15 (0.1%) of these cardiovascular events recorded with Wegovy, and 39 events (0.4%) were recorded with tirzepatide. The average follow-up duration was 3.8 months for the Wegovy group and 4.3 months for the tirzepatide group.

In all treated people, regardless of any gaps in their treatment, Wegovy 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 Wegovy and 8.6 months for tirzepatide).

There were 56 (0.5%) of these cardiovascular events recorded with Wegovy, and 83 events (0.8%) were recorded with tirzepatide.

Additionally, in all treated people, regardless of any gaps in their treatment, people treated with Wegovy experienced fewer events of heart attack, stroke, and cardiovascular-related death than people treated with tirzepatide.

The data arrives as Eli Lilly ( LLY ) advances its own obesity pipeline. Last week, the company released topline results from the second Phase 3 trial evaluating oral orforglipron in adults with obesity or overweight and type 2 diabetes.

In the ATTAIN-2 trial, all three doses of orforglipron met the primary and all key secondary endpoints, delivering significant weight loss, meaningful A1C reductions, and improvements in cardiometabolic risk factors at 72 weeks.

With the completion of ATTAIN-2, Lilly now has the complete clinical data package required to initiate global regulatory submissions for orforglipron.

Price Action: LLY stock is trading lower by 1.65% to $720.49, and NVO stock is up 0.25% at $56.60 premarket at last check Tuesday.

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