08:53 AM EDT, 03/22/2024 (MT Newswires) -- (Updates throughout with input from Centers for Medicaid and Medicaid Services.)

Novo Nordisk's ( NVO ) weight-loss drug Wegovy would be covered by the US Medicare system as long as it is prescribed to reduce the risk of heart attacks and strokes, the agency said in a statement to MT Newswires.

"States would be required to cover Wegovy for the purposes [of preventing] cardiovascular disease in people with obesity," the agency said. "States will also be able to use utilization management and step therapy in covering Wegovy for this purpose.

The Food and Drug Administration approved Wegovy earlier this month for lowering the risk of strokes and heart attacks in overweight adults who do not have diabetes.

Medicare prescription drug plans administered by private insurers do not currently cover obesity drugs but such drugs could be paid for if they receive US approval for a secondary use that Medicare does cover, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services said.

"When an anti-obesity medication receives approval for an additional medically accepted indication..., CMS will evaluate FDA labeling and updated treatment guidelines (if available) when reviewing formularies for the upcoming year," the agency said.

Novo Nordisk ( NVO ) did not immediately reply to MT Newswires' request for comment.

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