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Ozempic Approved By FDA For Chronic Kidney Disease Treatment

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Ozempic for the treatment of patients with chronic kidney disease, marking a new milestone for Novo Nordisk’s highly popular drug, previously authorized for type 2 diabetes and weight loss.

Key Facts

  • The FDA approval allows Ozempic to be used to reduce the risk of kidney disease progression, kidney failure, and death from cardiovascular events in patients with type 2 diabetes and chronic kidney disease.
  • The approval is based on a late-stage trial involving more than 3,500 participants, which showed that Ozempic lowered the risk of kidney disease progression and death from kidney or cardiovascular complications by 24% compared to a placebo.
  • Patients using Ozempic also experienced slower rates of kidney decline, according to Novo Nordisk.

In December 2024, the European Union’s health regulators also gave the go-ahead for Novo Nordisk to expand Ozempic’s label, indicating that the drug could reduce the risk of chronic kidney disease-related events in adults with type 2 diabetes.

Surprising Fact 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that one in every three adults with diabetes suffers from chronic kidney disease. Diabetes, both type 1 and type 2, can impair kidney function due to its effects on the kidneys’ ability to filter waste, compounded by the high blood pressure that often accompanies the condition.

What Has Ozempic Been Approved For? 

Ozempic has already been approved by the FDA for type 2 diabetes management, and it’s also widely used off-label for weight loss. Additionally, the FDA authorized Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy—which contains the same active ingredient, semaglutide—for weight loss and lowering the risk of cardiovascular events, such as heart attacks and strokes.

Key Background 

Ozempic and Wegovy are part of the GLP-1 agonist class of medications, which mimic the function of a gut hormone responsible for regulating blood sugar and appetite. Research into the broader benefits of these drugs has been growing. For example, Eli Lilly’s Zepbound, a competitor, was recently approved for treating obesity and sleep apnea, after it was shown to significantly reduce apnea events in a clinical trial.

Other studies suggest GLP-1 drugs might also have potential applications in treating alcohol use disorder and improving mood, cognitive function, and symptoms in patients with conditions like Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, dementia, bipolar disorder, and anxiety.

Cyprus’ Strong Youth Employment Rate Still Does Not Guarantee Early Independence

Young people in Cyprus have a relatively high employment rate, but they leave the parental home later than the EU average, according to Eurostat data.

Cypriots left home at an average age of 27 in 2025, compared with 26.3 years across the EU. At the same time, 72.3% of people aged 20 to 29 in Cyprus were employed, well above the EU average of 65.5%.

Strong Employment Does Not Mean Early Independence

Only nine countries recorded higher youth employment rates than Cyprus. Iceland led at 85.3%, followed by the Netherlands at 84%, Malta at 82.1%, Switzerland at 78.3% and Germany at 77%.

Norway recorded 76.5%, Ireland 76.1%, Denmark 74.8% and Austria 74.6%. Eurostat said countries where young people leave home earlier generally tend to have higher youth employment rates.

Southern Europe Sees Later Moves

Finland had the lowest average age for leaving the parental home at 21.4 years, followed by Denmark at 21.8 and Estonia and Lithuania at 22.7. Croatia recorded the highest average at 31.5 years, followed by Greece and Slovakia at 30.9. Spain and Italy both stood at 30.2 years.

Across the EU, the average has remained close to 26 since 2002, rising only slightly from 26.2 years in 2024 to 26.3 years in 2025.

Cyprus Labour Market Is Cooling

The figures come as Cyprus’ labor market shows some signs of easing, although demand for workers remains relatively strong by European standards.

Separate Eurostat data showed Cyprus had the EU’s largest annual decline in its job vacancy rate in the second quarter of 2026. The rate fell to 2.6% from 3.3% a year earlier, but remained above the EU average of 2.0% and the euro area average of 2.1%.

Cost Of Living Remains A Factor

Housing and other living costs can also affect how quickly young workers establish independent households. Eurostat reported that Cyprus’ household consumption price level was 89.2% of the EU average in 2025.

A relatively lower overall price level does not eliminate affordability pressures for people on modest incomes. For younger workers, the issue can be whether wages are sufficient to cover rent, utilities, food and other basic expenses.

Cyprus therefore combines relatively high youth employment with a later transition to independent living, suggesting that access to work and the ability to afford a separate household do not always move together.

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