The diabetes medication Ozempic also has a positive effect on chronic kidney damage

This is according to an international study led by clinical pharmacologist Hiddo Lambers Heerspink from UMCG.

The diabetes drug semaglutide, also known as Ozempic, has a positive effect on patients with chronic kidney disease and obesity. They have less protein in their urine, less inflammation in their kidneys and lower blood pressure.

This is according to an international study led by clinical pharmacologist Hiddo Lambers Heerspink from UMCG. This is the first time it has been shown that this diabetes drug, now known mainly as a weight loss drug, is also effective in patients with chronic kidney disease. The results of this study were published today in the journal Nature Medicine and were presented simultaneously at the annual conference of the American Society of Nephrology.

Does this diabetes medication also work for chronic kidney disease?
Hiddo Lambers Heerspink got the idea for this study at the beginning of the corona pandemic. He had previously found that another class of diabetes drugs, called SGLT2 inhibitors, also seemed to work well in patients with chronic kidney disease without diabetes. Therefore, he wanted to investigate whether semaglutide would have a positive effect on patients with chronic kidney disease and who are overweight but do not have diabetes.

The patients were very happy to participate in the study
The first participants started this study in the second half of 2022. At that time, it had become increasingly known that semaglutide caused weight loss. As a result, it was not a problem to get the participants excited about this study, says Lambers Heerspink. “Many patients wanted the drug but could no longer get it because production could not keep up with demand. This study gave them a 50% chance of getting the drug.

The amount of protein in the urine was halved
The study was conducted in four countries: Canada, Germany, Spain and the Netherlands. Half of the 101 participants received a semaglutide injection for 24 weeks, the other half a placebo. The study showed that the amount of protein in the urine, which indicates the degree of diabetes, was reduced by up to 52%. In addition, participants were found to have a 30% reduction in the severity of nephritis, their blood pressure reduction was as great as when taking blood pressure medication, and an important measure of heart failure was reduced by 33%. Participants also lost about 10% of their body weight, which has a positive effect on the kidneys.

The drug has a direct and indirect effect
Lambers Heerspink is very excited about these results. “The great thing is that the drug has both direct and indirect effects on the kidneys. Semaglutide has a direct effect on the levels of inflammation in the kidneys and reduces the fatty tissue surrounding the kidneys, which reduces the amount of protein in the urine. And it has an indirect effect because it lowers the weight and blood pressure of the participants.

You feel less hungry
The study was too short to measure improvements in participants’ quality of life or medium-term effects. “We sent questionnaires to the participants about their eating habits. They seem to feel less hungry and therefore eat less.

A study of the effects on the number of dialysis and kidney transplants
Lambers Heerspink is clear about the follow-up: “All the signals are green for testing this drug in a large study. I would like to investigate whether it can lead to fewer dialysis or kidney transplants. And I would also really like to investigate whether this drug also has a positive effect on patients with kidney damage who are not overweight. The drug due to its unprecedented popularity, it is now very difficult to get enough of the drug for trials.

How Ozempic works in type 2 diabetes
The drug class to which Ozempic belongs has been developed to treat type 2 diabetes. The drug affects the intestinal hormone GLP-1, which is responsible for the proper processing of carbohydrates from food. This happens, among other things, by stimulating the release of insulin from the pancreas. In addition, GLP-1 reduces the feeling of hunger and ensures that food moves more slowly from the stomach to the intestines. It gives a feeling of fullness for longer, which leads to weight loss. These effects ensure better glucose control and weight loss.

Source: UMCG