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PHILADELPHIA — Novo Nordisk’s obesity drug Wegovy notably cut the risk of heart attacks in a landmark cardiovascular trial that affirms the treatment offers health benefits beyond weight loss.

The company in August had announced that in this trial, called Select, Wegovy reduced the overall rate of major heart problems — heart attacks, stroke, or cardiovascular-related death — by 20%. That finding, which was the primary outcome the trial set out to study, was stronger than many were expecting and led Novo’s stock to surge.

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But details of the study, including risk reductions for each specific heart complication, were not released until Saturday, when they were presented here — before a standing-room only crowd — as the first major session of the American Heart Association conference. 

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