Ozempic adds 'saving kidneys, hearts and lives' to its list of benefits

Good news! Amazing stuff!

Curiously, here Ozempic and Wegovy are referred to as antidiabetics and not as weight reduction medications.

"... An international clinical trial led by researchers from the University of New South Wales (UNSW) Sydney found that a low weekly dose of semaglutide improved kidney function and reduced the risk of death in people with type 2 diabetes and chronic kidney disease. ...
The trial involved 3,533 participants from 28 countries with type 2 diabetes and chronic kidney disease who were randomized to receive semaglutide or a placebo. ..."

"Antidiabetic medication semaglutide, more widely known by brand names Ozempic and Wegovy, significantly reduces the risk of kidney failure, substantial loss of kidney function and death from kidney or cardiovascular causes, an international clinical trial led by UNSW Sydney researchers has shown.  "

From the abstract:

"BACKGROUND

Patients with type 2 diabetes and chronic kidney disease are at high risk for kidney failure, cardiovascular events, and death. Whether treatment with semaglutide would mitigate these risks is unknown.

METHODS

We randomly assigned patients with type 2 diabetes and chronic kidney disease (defined by an estimated glomerular filtration rate [eGFR] of 50 to 75 ml per minute per 1.73 m2 of body-surface area and a urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio [with albumin measured in milligrams and creatinine measured in grams] of >300 and <5000 or an eGFR of 25 to <50 ml per minute per 1.73 m2 and a urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio of >100 and <5000) to receive subcutaneous semaglutide at a dose of 1.0 mg weekly or placebo. The primary outcome was major kidney disease events, a composite of the onset of kidney failure (dialysis, transplantation, or an eGFR of <15 ml per minute per 1.73 m2), at least a 50% reduction in the eGFR from baseline, or death from kidney-related or cardiovascular causes. Prespecified confirmatory secondary outcomes were tested hierarchically.

RESULTS

Among the 3533 participants who underwent randomization (1767 in the semaglutide group and 1766 in the placebo group), median follow-up was 3.4 years, after early trial cessation was recommended at a prespecified interim analysis. The risk of a primary-outcome event was 24% lower in the semaglutide group than in the placebo group (331 vs. 410 first events; hazard ratio, 0.76; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.66 to 0.88; P=0.0003). Results were similar for a composite of the kidney-specific components of the primary outcome (hazard ratio, 0.79; 95% CI, 0.66 to 0.94) and for death from cardiovascular causes (hazard ratio, 0.71; 95% CI, 0.56 to 0.89). The results for all confirmatory secondary outcomes favored semaglutide: the mean annual eGFR slope was less steep (indicating a slower decrease) by 1.16 ml per minute per 1.73 m2 in the semaglutide group (P<0.001), the risk of major cardiovascular events 18% lower (hazard ratio, 0.82; 95% CI, 0.68 to 0.98; P=0.029), and the risk of death from any cause 20% lower (hazard ratio, 0.80; 95% CI, 0.67 to 0.95, P=0.01). Serious adverse events were reported in a lower percentage of participants in the semaglutide group than in the placebo group (49.6% vs. 53.8%).

CONCLUSIONS

Semaglutide reduced the risk of clinically important kidney outcomes and death from cardiovascular causes in patients with type 2 diabetes and chronic kidney disease."

Ozempic adds 'saving kidneys, hearts and lives' to its list of benefits Semaglutide, better known as Ozempic and Wegovy, has added another string to its therapeutic bow. A recent international clinical trial found that it significantly reduced the risk of kidney failure and death in type 2 diabetics with chronic kidney disease.

‘Saving kidneys, hearts and lives’: Diabetes drug found to reduce risk of kidney disease and death (original news release)

Effects of Semaglutide on Chronic Kidney Disease in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes (no public access)