TORONTO — Health Canada has approved the use of Ozempic to reduce the risk of kidney decline in people with Type 2 diabetes, marking the first time a GLP-1 drug has been authorized in Canada to protect both the kidneys and the heart.
Between 30 and 50 percent of people with Type 2 diabetes develop chronic kidney disease, a condition that can lead to dialysis or transplantation. Results from the FLOW clinical trial showed patients taking Ozempic were 24 percent less likely to see their kidneys deteriorate compared to those receiving a placebo. The same patients also had a lower risk of dying from cardiovascular disease, another major complication of diabetes.
The peer-reviewed study, funded by manufacturer Novo Nordisk and published last year in the New England Journal of Medicine, followed more than 3,500 participants across 28 countries, including Canada, for an average of 3.4 years. Patients receiving Ozempic, in addition to standard treatments for blood pressure and blood sugar, showed significantly fewer major kidney events.
Dr. David Cherney, a nephrologist at Toronto General Hospital who helped lead the Canadian portion of the trial, said the findings provide a major step forward in preventing dialysis and transplantation. “What my patients are scared of is dialysis — dialysis or a transplant. I can reasonably reduce that risk and thereby reduce their anxiety and fear of serious complications,” he said.
Dr. Ehud Ur, a Vancouver endocrinologist not involved in the trial, called the approval “great news” and emphasized that kidney protection is a critical goal in managing diabetes. He added that the added benefit of weight loss makes the drug especially attractive for patients.
Ozempic, an injectable form of semaglutide, was first approved in Canada to lower blood sugar in diabetes patients and has since been authorized at higher doses as a weight-loss drug under the brand Wegovy. While some people experience side effects ranging from nausea to more serious complications such as gall bladder inflammation, experts argue that the benefits of slowing progressive kidney disease far outweigh the risks.
Health Canada confirmed that as of August 13, the drug is approved “to reduce the risk of sustained estimated glomerular filtration rate decline, end-stage kidney disease and cardiovascular death in adults with Type 2 diabetes and chronic kidney disease.”
Researchers say Ozempic may provide kidney protection through mechanisms beyond lowering blood pressure and blood sugar, possibly by reducing inflammation. Regardless of the exact pathway, both Cherney and Ur believe its use early in the disease could help limit kidney damage and improve quality of life for millions of Canadians living with diabetes.