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Health Canada has approved Ozempic (semaglutide) for people living with type 2 diabetes and chronic kidney disease. This means Ozempic can now be prescribed not only to help manage blood sugar, but also to protect the kidneys and the heart.

This decision comes following the release of the results of the FLOW trial, which followed more than 3,500 patients over several years. The study found that Ozempic lowered the risk of kidney failure or serious kidney problems by 24% and slowed the progression of kidney disease.

Ozempic also reduced the chance of heart attack, stroke, or death from heart disease, which is a leading cause of death in people with chronic kidney disease.

“The FLOW trial showed that semaglutide reduced the risk of worsening kidney or cardiovascular disease by 24% in people with type 2 diabetes who had existing evidence of chronic kidney disease,” said Dr. David Cherney, nephrologist and Senior Scientist, Toronto General Hospital Research Institute. “These benefits included lowering the risk of cardiovascular death or dying due to any cause. These protective effects were reported when semaglutide was used in addition to standard of care medicines. Therefore, the results of the FLOW trial offer physicians another tool to use in the fight against diabetes-related complications.”

“For patients with type 2 diabetes, the key message is to make sure you are screened with a GFR and urine albumin test at least annually, so that your healthcare team can assess risk of future complications and help to decide which medicines are the best ones for you,” said Dr. Cherney.

“For patients, this is an important step forward; Ozempic offers new hope,” said Carrie Thibodeau, The Kidney Foundation’s National Director of Programs & Public Policy. “It means there is now a proven treatment that can help delay the need for dialysis or a transplant while also lowering the risk of heart disease—the leading cause of death for people with kidney problems.”

CTV news interview with researcher Dr. David Cherney and Craig Lindsay from The Kidney Foundation:

https://www.ctvnews.ca/toronto/video/2025/08/19/health-canada-approves-ozempic-to-reduce-risk-of-kidney-decline-among-type-2-diabetes-patients/

Always consult your health care provider about treatments to ensure that they are safe and appropriate for you.