https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-024-01564-w Skip to main content Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript. Advertisement Advertisement Nature * View all journals * Search * Log in * Explore content * About the journal * Publish with us * Subscribe * Sign up for alerts * RSS feed 1. nature 2. news 3. article * NEWS * 24 May 2024 Ozempic keeps wowing: trial data show benefits for kidney disease Semaglutide, the same compound in obesity drug Wegovy, slashes risk of kidney failure and death for people with diabetes. By * Rachel Fairbank 1. Rachel Fairbank View author publications You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar * Twitter * Facebook * Email A young woman suffering from kidney failure undergoes dialysis. People who have kidney failure often need dialysis to help clean waste from their blood.Credit: Mohammed Huwais/AFP via Getty The blockbuster diabetes drug Ozempic -- also sold as the obesity drug Wegovy -- can add another health condition to the list of maladies it alleviates. Researchers presented clinical-trial data today at a conference in Stockholm, showing that it significantly reduces the risk of kidney failure and death for people with type 2 diabetes and chronic kidney disease. Scientists are thrilled with the result, and think that the drug, otherwise known by its generic name, semaglutide, will eventually be proved to help a more general population of people with kidney disease. This trial is a first step towards that goal, they say. Semaglutide manufacturer Novo Nordisk, based in Bagsvaerd, Denmark, announced in October that it had halted its kidney-disease trial because of a recommendation from an independent data-safety monitoring board that the overwhelmingly positive results made it unethical to continue to give some participants a placebo. But until now, it hadn't revealed the full data analysis, which is also published today in The New England Journal of Medicine^1. Broad benefits [d41586-024] Obesity drugs have another superpower: taming inflammation The phase IIIb trial, which enrolled 3,533 people, showed that those who received semaglutide injections weekly were 24% less likely to have 'major kidney disease events', including kidney failure and dying owing to kidney complications, than were those getting a placebo. Kidney failure occurs when one or both of the kidneys no longer functions on its own, and can be treated with dialysis or a kidney transplant. Participants who received semaglutide were also 29% less likely to die from heart attacks and other major cardiovascular incidents than were those who got a placebo, and 20% less likely to die from any cause during the trial period. This is huge because "the links between kidney disease and heart disease are really profound", says Samir Parikh, a nephrologist at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas who was not involved in the study. People with type 2 diabetes and chronic kidney disease often die of heart disease before their kidney problems progress to failure. Heart disease and chronic kidney disease are strongly linked, Parikh says, and "unfortunately, they are self-reinforcing". Adding in type 2 diabetes is like throwing "rocket fuel" onto the fire, he adds. This is because type 2 diabetes can damage small blood vessels in the body, including those in the heart and kidneys. "We are ecstatic that we are seeing real benefits" for people with chronic kidney disease, says Katherine Tuttle, a nephrologist at the University of Washington School of Medicine in Spokane who co-ran the trial. "These patients benefit broadly." Need for therapies [d41586-024] Anti-obesity drug also protects against heart disease -- what happens next? Globally, the death rate from heart disease dropped by about 30% between 1990 and 2019, owing to improvements in health care and people changing their behaviour -- for instance, stopping smoking. But people with chronic kidney disease have not seen the same drop in heart-related deaths. "In many ways, they are one of the last pockets where the risk of cardiovascular death has not been reduced," says Vlado Perkovic, a nephrologist at the University of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia, and a co-leader of the trial. The availability of semaglutide as a potential treatment could be game-changing, he says. Historically, physicians have treated chronic kidney disease with drugs including blood-pressure medication. But these treatments offer only limited protection for the kidneys. In the past decade, options have expanded. For instance, researchers have demonstrated^2 that a class of diabetes drug called sodium-glucose co-transporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitors can slow the progression of chronic kidney disease, as well as protect against major cardiovascular incidents. But "there's still substantial residual risk in this population", Tuttle says. Diabetic kidney disease is the leading cause of chronic kidney disease worldwide, accounting for 50% of kidney-failure cases in wealthy countries. "There is a need for more therapies," she adds. A focus on kidneys Scientists already knew from other trials that semaglutide, which moderates blood sugar, can help to protect the kidneys, says Hertzel Gerstein, an endocrinologist at McMaster University in Hamilton, Canada. But those trials were testing the drug's effect on other conditions, such as heart disease, and clinicians just happened to notice kidney benefits. [d41586-024] Obesity drugs aren't always forever. What happens when you quit? What's special about the latest trial is that it is the first to focus on the progression of kidney disease, Gerstein says. The trial also hinted that semaglutide could slow the degradation of a person's kidneys. Participants receiving the drug maintained a healthier 'estimated glomerular filtration rate', which is a measure of the kidneys' ability to filter waste, and had lower amounts of a protein called albumin in their urine than did those receiving placebo. High levels of the protein are a sign of leaky blood vessels in the kidneys and point to kidney function declining. Why exactly semaglutide benefits the kidneys is still unclear, say the researchers who conducted the trial. It could have multiple mechanisms, including reducing inflammation in the kidneys, but more tests are needed. Other major questions remain, including whether semaglutide will offer a similar benefit to people who have chronic kidney disease, but who are not diabetic. Researchers must also find out how it stacks up against other medications used to treat chronic kidney disease, such as SGLT2 inhibitors, and whether combining these drugs can offer further benefits. doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-024-01564-w References 1. Perkovic, V. et al. N. Engl. J. Med. https://doi.org/10.1056/ NEJMoa2403347 (2024). Article Google Scholar 2. Perkovic, V. et al. N. Engl. J. Med. 380, 2295-2306 (2019). Article PubMed Google Scholar Download references Reprints and permissions Related Articles * [d41586-024] Obesity drugs have another superpower: taming inflammation * [d41586-024] Anti-obesity drug also protects against heart disease -- what happens next? * [d41586-024] Blockbuster obesity drug leads to better health in people with HIV * [d41586-024] Obesity drugs aren't always forever. What happens when you quit? * [d41586-024] The 'breakthrough' obesity drugs that have stunned researchers Subjects * Diseases * Research data * Public health * Obesity * Medical research Latest on: Diseases Neural pathways for reward and relief promote fentanyl addiction Neural pathways for reward and relief promote fentanyl addiction News & Views 22 MAY 24 Covalent targeted radioligands potentiate radionuclide therapy Covalent targeted radioligands potentiate radionuclide therapy Article 22 MAY 24 A whole-slide foundation model for digital pathology from real-world data A whole-slide foundation model for digital pathology from real-world data Article 22 MAY 24 Research data Guidelines for academics aim to lessen ethical pitfalls in generative-AI use Guidelines for academics aim to lessen ethical pitfalls in generative-AI use Nature Index 22 MAY 24 Standardized metadata for biological samples could unlock the potential of collections Correspondence 14 MAY 24 Japan can embrace open science -- but flexible approaches are key Correspondence 07 MAY 24 Public health Trials that infected people with common colds can inform today's COVID-19 challenge trials Correspondence 21 MAY 24 A global pandemic treaty is in sight: don't scupper it A global pandemic treaty is in sight: don't scupper it Editorial 21 MAY 24 Could bird flu in cows lead to a human outbreak? Slow response worries scientists Could bird flu in cows lead to a human outbreak? Slow response worries scientists News 17 MAY 24 Nature Careers Jobs * Professor, Division Director, Translational and Clinical Pharmacology Cincinnati Children's seeks a director of the Division of Translational and Clinical Pharmacology. Cincinnati, Ohio Cincinnati Children's Hospital & Medical Center [] * Data Analyst for Gene Regulation as an Academic Functional Specialist The Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universitat Bonn is an international research university with a broad spectrum of subjects. With 200 years of his... 53113, Bonn (DE) Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universitat [] * Recruitment of Global Talent at the Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (IOZ, CAS) The Institute of Zoology (IOZ), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), is seeking global talents around the world. Beijing, China Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (IOZ, CAS) [] * Full Professorship (W3) in "Organic Environmental Geochemistry (f /m/d) The Institute of Earth Sciences within the Faculty of Chemistry and Earth Sciences at Heidelberg University invites applications for a FULL PROFE... Heidelberg, Brandenburg (DE) Universitat Heidelberg [] * Postdoc: deep learning for super-resolution microscopy The Ries lab is looking for a PostDoc with background in machine learning. Vienna, Austria University of Vienna [] You have full access to this article via your institution. Download PDF Related Articles * [d41586-024] Obesity drugs have another superpower: taming inflammation * [d41586-024] Anti-obesity drug also protects against heart disease -- what happens next? * [d41586-024] Blockbuster obesity drug leads to better health in people with HIV * [d41586-024] Obesity drugs aren't always forever. What happens when you quit? * [d41586-024] The 'breakthrough' obesity drugs that have stunned researchers Subjects * Diseases * Research data * Public health * Obesity * Medical research Advertisement Sign up to Nature Briefing An essential round-up of science news, opinion and analysis, delivered to your inbox every weekday. Email address [ ] [ ] Yes! Sign me up to receive the daily Nature Briefing email. I agree my information will be processed in accordance with the Nature and Springer Nature Limited Privacy Policy. Sign up * Close Nature Briefing Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter -- what matters in science, free to your inbox daily. Email address [ ] Sign up [ ] I agree my information will be processed in accordance with the Nature and Springer Nature Limited Privacy Policy. Close Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing Explore content * Research articles * News * Opinion * Research Analysis * Careers * Books & Culture * Podcasts * Videos * Current issue * Browse issues * Collections * Subjects * Follow us on Facebook * Follow us on Twitter * Subscribe * Sign up for alerts * RSS feed About the journal * Journal Staff * About the Editors * Journal Information * Our publishing models * Editorial Values Statement * Journal Metrics * Awards * Contact * Editorial policies * History of Nature * Send a news tip Publish with us * For Authors * For Referees * Language editing services * Submit manuscript Search Search articles by subject, keyword or author [ ] Show results from [All journals] Search Advanced search Quick links * Explore articles by subject * Find a job * Guide to authors * Editorial policies Nature (Nature) ISSN 1476-4687 (online) ISSN 0028-0836 (print) nature.com sitemap About Nature Portfolio * About us * Press releases * Press office * Contact us Discover content * Journals A-Z * Articles by subject * protocols.io * Nature Index Publishing policies * Nature portfolio policies * Open access Author & Researcher services * Reprints & permissions * Research data * Language editing * Scientific editing * Nature Masterclasses * Research Solutions Libraries & institutions * Librarian service & tools * Librarian portal * Open research * Recommend to library Advertising & partnerships * Advertising * Partnerships & Services * Media kits * Branded content Professional development * Nature Careers * Nature Conferences Regional websites * Nature Africa * Nature China * Nature India * Nature Italy * Nature Japan * Nature Middle East * Privacy Policy * Use of cookies * Your privacy choices/Manage cookies * Legal notice * Accessibility statement * Terms & Conditions * Your US state privacy rights Springer Nature (c) 2024 Springer Nature Limited