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),

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.

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.