Novo Nordisk released results from a clinical trial March 5 that showed Ozempic reduced the risk of kidney disease-related events in patients with Type 2 diabetes.
The findings are based on a trial involving more than 3,500 people with Type 2 diabetes and chronic kidney disease. In October, Novo Nordisk, the manufacturer of semaglutide (the active ingredient in Ozempic) announced the trial on kidney outcomes, called FLOW, would be stopped early due to strong results.
Relative to the placebo group, diabetic patients with chronic kidney disease who received semaglutide saw a "superior reduction" in kidney disease progression, major heart events and kidney death, the results showed.
"Approximately 40% of people with Type 2 diabetes have chronic kidney disease, so the positive results from FLOW demonstrate the potential for semaglutide to become the first GLP-1 treatment option for people living with Type 2 diabetes and chronic kidney disease," Martin Holst Lange, executive vice president for development at Denmark-based Novo Nordisk, said in a news release.
The drugmaker said it plans to file a label expansion for Ozempic in the U.S. and European Union this year.