This past Tuesday I read on Yahoo News (link) that DaVita and Fresenius stock went up considerably due to less-than-expected trial results of the efficacy of Ozempic in treating Chronic Kidney Failure. The market’s thinking is that since it is not as effective as once thought it would be, the dialysis treatment market is not as threatened.
Unless you have been living under a rock, you certainly have been advised of the use of Ozempic in treating diabetes and its effectiveness in weight loss. It seems many non-diabetics are taking Ozempic to lose weight. I was unaware of the potential use of Ozempic in treating Chronic Kidney Disease. I turned to Perplexity (BTW, Perpleity is now valued at over one billion dollars and is becoming a real threat to Google!) where I prompted it on the status of trials of Ozempic in the treatment of CKF with the following results:
Novo Nordisk’s trial of Ozempic in the treatment of Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) has shown promising results. The FLOW trial, which studied Ozempic in diabetic patients with CKD, was stopped early due to interim results demonstrating the treatment’s success in treating kidney failure. Specifically, Ozempic reduced the risk of kidney disease progression, major cardiac events, and death by 24% in diabetic patients with CKD compared to a placebo14. This early halt was recommended by an independent data monitoring committee that found definitive evidence of the drug’s effectiveness. Novo Nordisk plans to file for expanded approval of Ozempic based on this data in both the U.S. and Europe, indicating a significant treatment opportunity for CKD patients who also have diabetes4. The positive outcomes of this trial suggest that Ozempic has broader health benefits beyond treating Type 2 diabetes, potentially leading to label expansions to include CKD treatment. Novo Nordisk’s subcutaneous GLP-1 receptor agonists, including Ozempic and Wegovy, are forecasted to have substantial sales growth, with potential label expansions enhancing their success across various conditions like CKD and cardiovascular disease14. While manufacturing and supply issues have been noted as hurdles, resolving these challenges could further propel the success of Novo Nordisk’s semaglutide-based therapies across a wider range of conditions1.
