{"id":631235,"date":"2025-01-31T16:33:06","date_gmt":"2025-01-31T21:33:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/?p=631235"},"modified":"2025-01-31T16:33:06","modified_gmt":"2025-01-31T21:33:06","slug":"ozempic-kidney-disease-fda-approval","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/news\/ozempic-kidney-disease-fda-approval\/","title":{"rendered":"FDA approves Ozempic for kidney disease"},"content":{"rendered":"

The blockbuster GLP-1 drug <\/span>Ozempic<\/span><\/a> has received approval for yet another chronic medical condition. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) expanded Ozempic\u2019s indication to reduce the risk of kidney disease worsening, kidney failure, and death due to cardiovascular disease in adults with Type 2 diabetes and <\/span>chronic kidney disease<\/span><\/a> (CKD).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cChronic kidney disease is very serious and common in patients living with Type 2 diabetes and represents a critical need for adults living with these comorbidities. This approval for Ozempic allows us to more broadly address conditions within cardiovascular-kidney-metabolic syndrome, which affects millions of adults and could have serious consequences if left untreated,” said Anna Windle, Ph.D., Senior Vice President of Clinical Development, Medical & Regulatory Affairs at Novo Nordisk in a statement.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

What is Ozempic?<\/span><\/h2>\n

Ozempic is an injectable form of semaglutide, a glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist. It was first approved by the FDA in 2017 for people with Type 2 diabetes to help with blood sugar control, in addition to diet and exercise. Clinical trials showed that the medication could help people with Type 2 diabetes lower their hemoglobin A1C (<\/span>HbA1c<\/span><\/a>), a blood test that shows average blood sugar levels over a three-month period.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Ozempic injections<\/span><\/a> are given once a week to help stimulate the pancreas to produce more of the hormone insulin. Insulin helps move sugar from the bloodstream into the body\u2019s cells so it can be used for energy. Reducing the amount of sugar in the bloodstream helps reduce the potential damage that can occur to the blood vessels from high blood sugar.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Benefits for people with kidney disease<\/span><\/h2>\n

The expanded approval for Ozempic is significant because people with Type 2 diabetes and CKD are at high risk for kidney failure and cardiovascular events, as a recent <\/span>study<\/span><\/a> in the <\/span>New England Journal of Medicine<\/span><\/i> noted.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

CKD is a common complication of diabetes\u201437 million adults are living with CKD in the U.S. Diabetes cases are on the rise nationwide, so those numbers could increase. This approval is a game-changer for these Americans.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

According to the National Kidney Foundation, <\/span>risk factors for chronic kidney disease<\/span><\/a> include:<\/span><\/p>\n