(NewsNation) — Semaglutide, a compound found in drugs such as Ozempic, reduced the risk of complications for those with chronic kidney disease and Type 2 diabetes, according to a study published Friday in the New England Journal of Medicine.
Novo Nordisk, the manufacturer of the diabetes drug Ozempic, which can be prescribed off-label for weight loss, published the headline results of the multiyear study in March. About 3,533 people with chronic kidney disease or Type 2 diabetes participated, with half given semaglutide and the others getting a placebo.
Those who had taken the semaglutide, researchers said, were able to cut their odds of death from kidney disease complications by 24%. People who took semaglutide also lowered their likelihood of experiencing a major cardiovascular event by 18% and other causes of death by 20%.
Novo ended its trial nearly a year ahead of schedule last October in response to positive results.
NewsNation digital producer Taylor Delandro contributed to this report.