Novo Nordisk's Ethically Questionable Wegovy Publicity Stunt

Embroiled in lawsuits and investigations across multiple countries about the dangerous side effects of their weight loss drug Wegovy (which I interrupted writing about to write about this,) Novo Nordisk put out a press release today with the headline “Semaglutide 2.4 mg reduces the risk of major adverse cardiovascular events by 20% in adults with overw*ight or ob*sity in the SELECT trial.”

Normally I would be releasing a detailed breakdown of the study results. The problem is, the SELECT trial is not peer-reviewed or published in any way. I would love to dig into the comparator groups, the statistical analysis, and the outcomes, but I can’t. Nobody can. Novo Nordisk pushed out a press release with their claimed top-line result and then moved on with their day. This company, which has been sanctioned for its questionable and deceptive marketing tactics in the US and the UK, wants us to take their word for it.

I’m obviously not going to do that...