FLOW Results Show Semaglutide Benefits Patients With T2D, CKD

Presenting their results at the 61st European Renal Association Congress, Vlado Perkovic, MBBS, PhD and other researchers found that semaglutide significantly decreases the risk of major kidney disease events, cardiovascular (CV) outcomes, and all-cause mortality in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) and chronic kidney disease (CKD).

The findings came from the Evaluate Renal Function with Semaglutide Once Weekly (FLOW) study, a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled international trial to assess the safety and efficacy of semaglutide in preventing major kidney outcomes in people with T2D and CKD, namely kidney failure, significant loss of kidney function, and death from kidney or CV causes.

There were 3533 patients in the trial, receiving either placebo or semaglutide, a subcutaneous glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonist, 1 mg once weekly; median follow-up was 3.4 years. The patients receiving semaglutide had a 24% lower risk of the composite primary end point, including kidney outcomes and death due to CV and kidney causes, versus patients receiving placebo. This risk reduction was consistent across both kidney-specific and CV-related death outcomes.

Semaglutide also demonstrated benefits for the study’s secondary end points. For patients receiving semaglutide, the total estimated glomerular filtration rate slope was 1.16 ml/min/1.73 m²/year slower, the risk of major CV events decreased by 18%, and the risk of all-cause mortality shrank by 20%.

The FLOW results, which were also published in The New England Journal of Medicine, offer new hope for patients facing a dual diagnosis of T2D and CKD. Perkovic stated, “These findings offer great promise in reshaping treatment strategies for individuals at high risk of diabetes-related complications, offering a new avenue for kidney and cardiovascular protection.”

Source: Perkovic V, Tuttle K, Rossing P, et al. Effects of semaglutide on chronic kidney disease in patients with type 2 diabetes. Presented at the 61st European Renal Association Congress; May 23-26, 2024; Stockholm, Sweden.