This picture taken on October 23, 2023, shows Ozempic medication boxes, an injectable antidiabetic drug, in a pharmacy in Riedisheim in eastern France.
Sebastien Bozon | Afp | Getty Images
Novo Nordisk‘s blockbuster drug Ozempic cut the risk of kidney disease progression and related health complications in diabetic patients, in accordance with initial late-stage trial results released Tuesday.
Ozempic specifically lowered the risk of kidney disease progression and death from kidney or cardiovascular complications by 24% in diabetic patients with chronic kidney disease in comparison with a placebo.
The outcomes add to the growing evidence that the highly popular injection and similar drugs for weight reduction have broader health advantages for patients beyond treating Type 2 diabetes and helping them shed kilos. Those treatments skyrocketed in popularity over the past yr despite their mixed insurance coverage and hefty price tags.
Novo Nordisk said it’ll present full data from the study later this yr. The corporate also noted that it will file for an expanded approval of Ozempic based on the info in each the U.S. and Europe.
Chronic kidney disease can be an enormous additional treatment opportunity for Ozempic. Roughly 40% of individuals with diabetes even have the condition. The disease involves a gradual loss of kidney function.
Notably, the Danish company ended the trial in October, a yr sooner than expected, in response to positive results.
The trial, called FLOW, first began in 2019 and followed roughly 3,500 patients with diabetes and moderate to severe chronic kidney disease.
The information comes as Novo Nordisk faces increased competition from Eli Lilly and tries to win expanded insurance coverage for its separate weight reduction injection Wegovy.
Last yr, a late-stage trial on Wegovy showed that it cut the risk of heart attacks and strokes by 20%.
Clarification: This story was updated to reflect trial information Novo Nordisk clarified from an earlier press release.
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