NEW ATLAS
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.
The antidiabetic and weight loss drug semaglutide (Ozempic, Wegovy) is already a worldwide smash hit, and its list of health benefits outside these uses keeps getting longer. Recent studies have found it reduced heart risks in overweight non-diabetics and could be a treatment for alcohol use disorder. Now, a new study has found even more uses for the wonder drug.
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.
“We would be saving kidneys, hearts and lives in this population by making this drug available to them, and that’s quite extraordinary for one treatment to be able to do so,” said Vlado Perkovic, a kidney specialist and the study’s lead author.
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. Those in the semaglutide group received a weekly dose of 1.0 mg, a lower dose than is generally used for diabetes or weight loss treatment.
