Provinces should cover weight-loss drugs for people with pre-existing cardiovascular disease, says drug agency

Provincial governments should pay for the weight-loss drug Wegovy for people who are overweight and have survived a heart attack or stroke, according to a new report from the organization that advises Canadian public drug plans on which new medications to cover. Canada’s Drug Agency, which released the draft recommendation on Thursday, said taxpayer-funded drug plans should reimburse Wegovy for people with a body mass index of 27 or higher and pre-existing cardiovascular disease because a clinical trial found the once-weekly injection cut their risk of another heart attack, stroke or cardiovascular death by 20 per cent.