Ozempic, or semaglutide, can now be used to reduce the risk of worsening kidney disease or kidney failure in adults with type 2 diabetes and chronic kidney disease, Novo Nordisk said.

Expanded Ozempic approval in the U.S. could transform how doctors treat patients with chronic kidney disease, which involves a gradual loss of kidney function.

When Novo Nordisk unveiled kidney outcomes data for its star GLP-1 medicine Ozempic last May, the company’s executive medical director suggested the results could help set a new standard for “holis | The FDA on Tuesday gave Ozempic a thumbs-up to reduce the risk of kidney disease worsening,

Just how much Medicare price negotiations will negatively impact Novo Nordisk, though, depends on what the final negotiated prices for Ozempic, Wegovy, and Rybelsus will be. In Medicare's negotiations for 2026, the new prices achieved an average of 22% savings.

The U.S. FDA has approved Novo Nordisk's Ozempic for reducing the risk of kidney failure and disease progression, as well as death due to heart problems in diabetes patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD),

Regulators have approved the drug as a treatment for weight loss, Type 2 diabetes and lowering the risk of heart attacks and strokes.