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Today: February 19, 2025

FDA Approves Ozempic for Diabetics with Kidney Disease: A Game-Changer for Treatment

FDA Approves Ozempic for Diabetics with Kidney Disease: A Game-Changer for TreatmentFDA approves Ozempic for diabetics with kidney disease, offering new hope to prevent complications and reduce heart-related deaths. Learn about this breakthrough treatment.
February 03, 2025
Jasmin Jose - LA Post

The FDA just gave Ozempic the green light to help people with both diabetes and kidney disease avoid serious complications. Type 2 diabetes often leads to kidney problems, and about one in seven Americans are dealing with unhealthy kidneys. Ozempic's new approval is meant to help prevent kidney deterioration and reduce heart-related deaths in people battling both conditions.

Novo Nordisk's Dr. Stephen Gough, who heads up their medical affairs, was excited about this breakthrough. “Over the last 20 years, it’s been an area where researchers tried hard but delivered very little,” Gough admitted. “To have something new like this is really exciting, and offers promise to patients,” he said in an article with the New York Times.

Before this, doctors could prescribe Ozempic for diabetes and to lower heart risks in diabetics with heart problems. 

In individuals with diabetes and a history of heart disease, Ozempic is already authorized to treat Type 2 diabetes and reduce the risk of significant cardiovascular events. Research demonstrating that individuals with Type 2 diabetes and chronic kidney disease who took Ozempic had a 24 percent lower chance of experiencing a complication, such as needing dialysis or a transplant, than those who took a placebo served as the foundation for the FDA's decision to increase the drug's approved uses. They were also less likely to die from cardiovascular issues and experienced kidney impairment at slower rates.

The research found that people on Ozempic were comparatively less likely to need dialysis or a kidney transplant compared to those taking placebos. Not only that, but their kidneys held up better over time, and they were less likely to die from heart problems.

More and more Americans are dealing with kidney disease, and it's closely tied to the rising number of people with Type 2 diabetes. By approving Ozempic for this new use, the FDA has given doctors another tool to tackle these two complex health problems together.

This expanded use of Ozempic is a big step forward in helping diabetics with kidney disease, giving them a chance at feeling better and living longer.

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