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Wegovy and heart disease: what did the SELECT trial show, and is it on the PBS?

The 2024 Australian approval for lowering heart attack and stroke risk, what the trial found in absolute numbers, and why the recommended PBS listing is narrower.

GLP Guidebook teamPublished 12 Oct 20266 min read12 sourcesWritten from published sources

Written for Australia. Other country versions are coming.

The short answer

Since December 2024, Wegovy has been approved in Australia to lower the risk of heart attack, stroke and heart death in adults with heart or blood vessel disease, a BMI of 27 or more and no diabetes. In the SELECT trial, these events fell from 8.0% to 6.5% over about 3 years. It is not yet on the PBS.

Key takeaways

  • Wegovy was registered by the TGA on 19 December 2024 to reduce major heart events in adults with established cardiovascular disease, a BMI of 27 or more and no diabetes.1,3
  • In the SELECT trial, a heart attack, stroke or heart death happened to 6.5% on semaglutide 2.4 mg and 8.0% on a dummy injection, over about 3 years.2
  • In SELECT, 16.6% stopped semaglutide because of side effects, against 8.2% on the dummy injection; Novo Nordisk paid for the trial.2
  • The PBAC recommended a PBS listing in November 2025 only for people with a past heart event and a BMI of 35, or 32.5 for some groups.4
  • As of October 2026 the Wegovy PBS listing has not happened; the government marked Novo Nordisk's February 2026 paperwork as not accepted.7
On this page
  1. What is Wegovy approved for in heart disease in Australia?
  2. What did the SELECT trial find?
  3. Who does the heart indication cover?
  4. Is Wegovy on the PBS for heart disease?
  5. What side effects were seen in SELECT?
  6. Questions people ask
  7. How we researched this

What is Wegovy approved for in heart disease in Australia?

To reduce the risk of major heart events in adults with established cardiovascular disease, a BMI of 27 or more and no type 1 or type 2 diabetes. The TGA registered it on 19 December 2024.1,3

Before you go further
  • Wegovy is a prescription-only medicine in Australia. A prescriber decides whether it suits you.
  • Label facts come from the Australian Product Information (PI), revised 22 June 2026.1
  • We don't publish medicine prices for Australia. The TGA treats price information for prescription medicines as advertising unless strict rules are met.8
  • Every risk of semaglutide is in Guide 5: Side effects and risks.
  • This post describes a label, a trial and a funding decision. It is not a plan for your treatment, and no medicine guarantees any result.

"Major heart events" is the PI's phrase for three things: heart or blood vessel death, a non-fatal heart attack, or a non-fatal stroke.1 The PI says Wegovy is used "as an adjunct to standard of care", meaning on top of usual heart medicines.1

  • Dose: the same steps as for weight, up to a top dose of 2.4 mg a week. The 7.2 mg dose does not apply to this use.1
  • Different from Ozempic: Ozempic is semaglutide for type 2 diabetes. This heart indication belongs to Wegovy and covers people without diabetes.1

What did the SELECT trial find?

Over about 3 years, a heart attack, stroke or heart death happened to 6.5% of people on semaglutide and 8.0% on a dummy injection. That is about 15 fewer events per 1,000 people.2

SELECT enrolled 17,604 adults with a past heart attack, stroke or peripheral arterial disease, a BMI of 27 or more, and no diabetes.1,2 Most were men (72%) and the average age was 62.1 Novo Nordisk, which makes Wegovy, paid for it.2

SELECTSemaglutide 2.4 mg vs dummy injection

17,604 adults with heart or blood vessel disease and overweight or obesity, followed for about 40 months on average.2

Heart attack, stroke or heart death, % of people

Semaglutide6.5%
Dummy injection8.0%

A 20% lower relative risk; 1.5 percentage points lower in absolute terms.

In whole numbers. 569 of 8,803 people on semaglutide had an event, against 701 of 8,801 on the dummy.2 By our arithmetic, about 67 people would need to take it for about 3 years for one to avoid an event.

Part of the resultSemaglutideDummyClear on its own?
Non-fatal heart attack234322Yes
Heart or blood vessel death223262No
Non-fatal stroke154165No

Number of people with each event, out of about 8,800 per group. Australian Wegovy PI, section 5.1, Figure 17.1

The PI says only the drop in non-fatal heart attacks was statistically significant on its own.1 It also says the benefit "appeared largely independent of weight loss".1

Who does the heart indication cover?

Adults who already have established cardiovascular disease, a BMI of 27 or more and no diabetes. It is not a label for preventing a first heart attack.1

  • Established disease in SELECT meant a past heart attack (about two-thirds of people), a past stroke, or peripheral arterial disease, which is narrowed arteries in the legs.1
  • No diabetes. People with type 1 or type 2 diabetes were excluded from SELECT and from this indication.1
  • On other medicines. At the start, 90.1% of people in SELECT took cholesterol-lowering medicine and 86.2% took anti-platelet medicine.1 Semaglutide was added on top.

For BMI lines used for some groups in PBS decisions, see BMI cut-offs for Asian, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians.

Free toolQuestions for your cardiologist or GP

Builds a printable sheet of questions for an appointment about medicines. Free.

Open the question list

Is Wegovy on the PBS for heart disease?

Not yet. The PBAC recommended a listing in November 2025, but as of October 2026 it "has not yet occurred".6,7

The recommended group is narrower than the label. newsGP reported it as people who have:4

  • already had a heart attack or stroke, or have symptomatic peripheral arterial disease; and
  • a BMI of 35 or more, or 32.5 or more for Asian, Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander people.

The label starts at a BMI of 27, so many people covered by the label would sit outside the recommended PBS group.1,4 The PBAC made its recommendation "contingent upon a price reduction and risk sharing arrangement".6

  1. Dec 2024TGA registers the heart indication.3
  2. Nov 2025PBAC recommends a narrow listing.6
  3. Jan 2026Health Minister says he will work with Novo Nordisk on the listing.5
  4. Feb 2026Novo Nordisk lodges documents; acceptance is marked "Not Accepted".7
  5. Oct 2026Listing still "has not yet occurred".7

Until then, Wegovy is a private prescription with no PBS subsidy. Our posts on Wegovy and the PBS and private health insurance cover what that means.

What side effects were seen in SELECT?

Stomach side effects led many people to stop. In SELECT, 16.6% stopped semaglutide because of side effects, against 8.2% on the dummy injection.2

The PI says the side effects in SELECT were similar to those in the weight trials, with two additions: kidney stones and hip fractures.1

  • Hip and pelvis fractures in women: 1.0% on semaglutide against 0.2% on the dummy.1
  • Fractures in people aged 75 and over: 2.4% against 0.6%.1
  • Kidney stones: 1.2% against 0.8%.1
  • Pancreatitis: 0.2% on semaglutide against 0.3% on the dummy, confirmed by an expert panel.1
RisksThe risks, in brief
  • Stomach effects (nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, constipation) are the most common side effects of Wegovy, mostly while the dose is rising.1
  • Pancreatitis can be severe and, rarely, fatal. The PI says to stop if it is suspected.1
  • Falls and fractures were more common in women and in people 75 and over in SELECT.1
  • Dehydration from vomiting or diarrhoea can harm the kidneys.1
  • Sudden loss of sight (NAION) has been linked to semaglutide. Seek urgent care for any sudden vision loss.9
Full detail in Guide 5: Side effects and risks →
Get help now: call triple zero (000) if an illness is critical or life-threatening.10 For advice when you are not sure what to do, call the healthdirect nurse helpline free on 1800 022 222, 24 hours a day.10 If you think you have taken too much of a medicine, call the Poisons Information Centre on 13 11 26 at any time.11 Severe stomach pain that won't go away can be pancreatitis.1 You can report a side effect to the TGA online or through your GP or pharmacist.12

Questions people ask

Is Wegovy approved for heart disease in Australia?

Yes. Since 19 December 2024 it is approved to lower the risk of major heart events in adults with established cardiovascular disease, a BMI of 27 or more and no diabetes.1,3

How much does Wegovy reduce heart attack risk?

In SELECT, a heart attack, stroke or heart death happened to 6.5% on semaglutide and 8.0% on a dummy injection over about 3 years.2

Is Wegovy on the PBS for heart disease?

Not yet. The PBAC recommended a narrow listing in November 2025, but as of October 2026 it has not happened.7

Who would qualify under the recommended PBS listing?

As reported, people with a past heart attack, stroke or symptomatic peripheral arterial disease and a BMI of 35, or 32.5 for some groups. A prescriber assesses each person.4

Can people with diabetes use Wegovy for heart protection?

The heart indication excludes people with type 1 or type 2 diabetes, because SELECT did not include them.1

How we researched this

On 12 Oct 2026 we read the Australian Wegovy PI, the SELECT trial abstract, newsGP reports from February 2025, December 2025 and January 2026, the PBAC's advice and the PBS medicine status page for Wegovy.

Event counts come from the Australian PI's SELECT figure; the number needed to treat is our own arithmetic. SELECT was paid for by Novo Nordisk. We found no public reason for the 'Not Accepted' status on the PBS page, so we give none.

Before you move on

  • Wegovy's heart indication covers adults with established disease, a BMI of 27+ and no diabetes.
  • In SELECT, events fell from 8.0% to 6.5% over about 3 years.
  • Only the drop in non-fatal heart attacks was clear on its own.
  • The recommended PBS listing is narrower and has not started.
Side effects and risksConsidering it for weightDoctor questions tool

More from the Australia blog

AUAustraliaIs Wegovy on the PBS? Who qualifies, and why it isn't listed yet AUAustraliaBMI cut-offs for Asian, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians AUAustraliaWegovy 7.2 mg in Australia: the higher dose explained
About GLP Guidebook

The monthly Australia update

An independent guide to GLP‑1 medicines. We don't sell medicines, take drug-company money or earn clinic commissions. Once a month: PBS decisions, TGA approvals, safety notices and recalls. How we write

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Sources

  1. Novo Nordisk. Wegovy (semaglutide) Australian Product Information, revised 22 June 2026. medsinfo.com.au Sections 4.1, 4.2, 4.8 and 5.1 (SELECT, Figure 17 and Table 15).
  2. Lincoff AM, Brown-Frandsen K, Colhoun HM et al. Semaglutide and cardiovascular outcomes in obesity without diabetes (SELECT). N Engl J Med 2023;389:2221–32. Funded by Novo Nordisk. DOI · PMID 37952131
  3. newsGP (RACGP). Wegovy approved for cardiovascular disease in overweight and obesity (TGA registration 19 December 2024). 17 February 2025. racgp.org.au
  4. newsGP (RACGP). Wegovy recommended for PBS listing (prior heart attack, stroke or symptomatic peripheral arterial disease; BMI 35 or more, or 32.5 or more for Asian, Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander patients). 19 December 2025. racgp.org.au
  5. newsGP (RACGP). Health Minister progresses Wegovy's PBS listing. 12 January 2026. racgp.org.au
  6. Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme. PBAC advice on equitable access to GLP-1 obesity treatments (priority groups; "a slow and managed roll-out"; "As of February 2026, the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) advises that there are no shortages of any GLP-1 medication in Australia"). pbs.gov.au
  7. Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme. Medicine status: semaglutide (Wegovy), established cardiovascular disease with obesity ("Medicine listed on the PBS: Has not yet occurred"). Information current as at 1 October 2026; page updated 23 July 2026. pbs.gov.au
  8. Therapeutic Goods Administration. Applying the Advertising Code rules: price information. Updated 21 July 2026. tga.gov.au
  9. Therapeutic Goods Administration. GLP-1 RAs and rare vision disorder (NAION). Medicine Safety Update, 23 July 2026. tga.gov.au
  10. Healthdirect Australia. How healthdirect can help you ("call triple zero (000) for an ambulance immediately"; nurse helpline 1800 022 222, 24 hours a day). healthdirect.gov.au
  11. Healthdirect Australia. Poisoning (Poisons Information Centre, 13 11 26, any time). healthdirect.gov.au
  12. Therapeutic Goods Administration. Reporting adverse events for consumers (online, or through your GP, nurse practitioner, midwife or pharmacist). Updated 2 September 2026. tga.gov.au

Last checked 12 Oct 2026 · Next review due 12 Apr 2027 · Report an error

How this post was made. Written by the GLP Guidebook team from the sources above. It's general information, not medical advice. Talk to a qualified doctor, nurse or pharmacist before starting, stopping or changing any medicine. How we write