Ozempic (Semaglutide Injection, Diabetes + Kidney)

Ozempic contains the same molecule as Wegovy — semaglutide — but is FDA-approved primarily for glycemic control in type 2 diabetes at doses up to 2 mg weekly, and has accumulated the most expansive indication label of any GLP-1 receptor agonist on the market. Approved initially in December 2017, Ozempic now holds three distinct FDA-approved indications: (1) glycemic control in adults with type 2 diabetes; (2) reduction of major adverse cardiovascular events in adults with type 2 diabetes and established cardiovascular disease (based on the SUSTAIN-6 and SELECT-adjacent data); and (3) — its most recent and clinically significant expansion, approved January 28, 2025 — reduction of the risk of worsening kidney disease, end-stage kidney disease, and cardiovascular death in adults with type 2 diabetes and chronic kidney disease (CKD), based on the Phase 3b FLOW trial. The FLOW kidney outcomes trial is one of the most consequential studies in nephrology in decades. It demonstrated a 24% relative risk reduction in the composite of kidney disease worsening, end-stage kidney disease, and cardiovascular death with semaglutide versus placebo in a high-risk population with CKD (eGFR 25-75 mL/min/1.73m2). Additionally, it showed a 29% relative risk reduction in cardiovascular death — establishing semaglutide as the only GLP-1 RA approved to protect kidneys. While Ozempic is not formally approved for weight management (that indication sits with Wegovy at 2.4 mg), its use produces meaningful weight reduction as a beneficial secondary effect — typically 5-10% at the 1-2 mg doses — and it is one of the most commonly prescribed GLP-1s globally. Monthly list price is approximately $900-$1,000 without insurance; diabetes indications give it better insurance coverage than Wegovy in many plans. As the diabetes-labeled version of semaglutide, Ozempic serves as the entry point into the semaglutide family for millions of patients globally.