FDA approves Ozempic for diabetes patients to cut kidney disease risk | India News

This is a significant breakthrough in managing diabetes-related conditions.

The FDA approval is based on results from a trial investigating the effects of once-a-week Ozempic injections on major kidney and cardiovascular outcomes in adults with Type 2 diabetes and chronic kidney disease. It showed a 24 per cent reduced risk of worsening kidney disease and kidney failure (end-stage kidney disease) and also led to a 4.9 per cent risk reduction in death from cardiovascular disease.

Ozempic contains semaglutide, a GLP-1 receptor agonist (RA), which mimics the function of a hormone released by the intestine after eating. It lowers blood sugar by helping the pancreas make more of the glucose-regulating hormone called insulin. It can also help with weight loss by reducing appetite and increasing the feeling of “fullness”.

The FDA approval is significant for India, where Ozempic will likely be available soon. “Diabetes is the leading cause of kidney disease so the medicine will be beneficial on a large scale. Prevention is of crucial importance so that we do not create an economic burden by increasing the number of kidney transplants,” said Dr Himanshu Verma, professor and head of the Nephrology department at VMMC and Safdarjung Hospital in Delhi.

Dr Verma said diabetic patients with kidney disease have different types of inflammation in their bodies. “Earlier diabetes management protocols were meant to control sugar and blood pressure to have the least impact on the kidney. Both these risk factors can damage blood vessels in your kidneys and lead to fibrosis or scarring of tissue. However, despite this, some inflammation persists and many diabetic patients end up developing kidney diseases. The newly-approved medicine will act on the inflammatory process, slow it down. So even if a diabetic person has kidney disease, the drug can slow down its progression in the initial stages.”

According to Dr Anoop Misra, Chairman, Fortis CDOC Hospital for Diabetes, a substantial number of Indians with diabetes are at risk of developing kidney disease, yet treatment options remain limited.

“This approval marks a significant breakthrough in managing diabetes-related complications, especially in a population where both kidney disease and obesity are rising concerns. We now have a drug that addresses multiple key aspects of diabetes, including obesity, blood sugar control, heart and liver health, and kidney disease,” he said.