This photo taken on October 23, 2023 shows boxes of Ozempic medication, an injectable antidiabetic drug, at a pharmacy in Riedisheim, eastern France.
Sebastian Bozón | afp | fake images
NordiskThe blockbuster drug Ozempic reduced the risk of kidney disease progression and related health complications in diabetic patients, according to initial late-stage trial results released Tuesday.
Ozempic specifically reduced the risk of kidney disease progression, major cardiac events, and death by 24% in diabetic patients with chronic kidney disease compared to placebo.
The results add to growing evidence that the highly popular shot and similar weight-loss drugs have broader health benefits for patients beyond treating type 2 diabetes and helping them lose weight. Those treatments have skyrocketed in popularity over the past year despite their mixed insurance coverage and high prices.
Novo Nordisk said it will present full data from the study later this year. The company also noted that it would seek expanded approval of Ozempic based on data from both the U.S. and Europe.
Chronic kidney disease would be a great additional treatment opportunity for Ozempic: approximately 40% of people with diabetes also have this disease. The disease involves a gradual loss of kidney function.
Notably, the Danish company ended the trial in October (a year earlier than expected) in response to the positive results.
The trial, called FLOW, began in 2019 and followed approximately 3,500 patients with diabetes and moderate to severe chronic kidney disease.
The data comes as Novo Nordisk faces increased competition from Eli Lilly and is trying to get expanded insurance coverage for its separate weight-loss injection, Wegovy.
Last year, a late-stage trial of Wegovy showed that it reduced the risk of heart attacks and strokes by 20%.
