Health Canada has approved Ozempic to reduce the risk of further kidney decline among patients with Type 2 diabetes.
Between 30 and 50 per cent of people with Type 2 diabetes develop some form of chronic kidney disease.
An international clinical trial, called FLOW, showed the risk of kidneys significantly deteriorating or failing was 24 per cent lower in patients taking Ozempic compared to those taking a placebo injection.
The patients taking the drug were also less likely to die from cardiovascular disease — another condition that affects many patients with diabetes.
The study, funded by Ozempic manufacturer Novo Nordisk, was peer-reviewed and published in the New England Journal of Medicine last year and contributed to Health Canada’s decision.
Avoiding dialysis
Dr. David Cherney, a nephrologist at Toronto General Hospital, helped lead the Canadian part of the trial and says the results show it’s possible to reduce the loss of kidney function before patients need dialysis or a kidney transplant.
“What my patients are scared of is dialysis — dialysis or a transplant,” said Cherney, who is also a senior scientist at the Toronto General Hospital Research Institute, in an interview.
“I can reasonably reduce that risk and thereby reduce their anxiety and fear of serious, serious complications. Not to mention all the cardiovascular disease, which patients are also extremely afraid of.”
Researchers at the University of Toronto have found GLP-1 weight loss and diabetes drugs like Ozempic and Mounjaro double the risk of a severe form of vision loss among diabetics, affecting daily activities such as reading and driving.
Dr. Ehud Ur, an endocrinologist in Vancouver who was not involved in the study, said the results are credible and that Health Canada’s approval of Ozempic to help prevent kidney decline is “great news.”
“The prevention of kidney disease is a very important goal in the management of patients with Type 2 diabetes and this is another tool,” said Ur, who is a professor of endocrinology and metabolism at the University of British Columbia.
Ozempic is the brand name of an injectable dose of semaglutide, a glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) hormone. Ozempic was first approved in Canada as a diabetes medication in 2018 because it reduces blood sugar.
Semaglutide can also decrease appetite. In 2021, Health Canada approved it as a weight-loss drug for people with obesity at a higher dose sold by Novo Nordisk under the brand name Wegovy. Following global supply shortages, in January 2025 Health Canada said the supply of Ozempic and other GLP-1 receptor agonists had stabilized.
Heart protection benefits established
In an email to The Canadian Press, Health Canada confirmed that on Aug. 13, it had approved Ozempic “to reduce the risk of sustained estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) decline, end-stage kidney disease and cardiovascular death in adults with Type 2 diabetes and chronic kidney disease.”
Glomerular filtration rate is a measure that shows how well the kidneys are filtering out waste and excess water.
Ozempic is the first GLP-1 drug approved in Canada to protect both kidneys and the heart in patients with Type 2 diabetes, said Ur, noting that the cardiovascular benefits of semaglutide have been extensively studied.
“The benefit of Ozempic is that you also get weight loss, which is a very important goal for most people [with Type 2 diabetes]. That’s a very exciting combination,” he said.
Some people experience gastrointestinal side effects when they take Ozempic, Ur said, including nausea, vomiting, constipation and diarrhea.
More severe complications can include gall bladder inflammation and pancreatitis but most side effects are minor, he said.
The benefit of slowing or stopping progressive kidney disease in people with diabetes would outweigh the risks of minor side effects, Ur said.
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