Kidney Compass: FLOW Insights from Kidney Week 2024, with Katherine Tuttle, MD

Live from Kidney Week 2024!

In the third and final on-site edition of Kidney Compass: Navigating Clinical Trials from the American Society of Nephrology’s Kidney Week 2024, Katherine Tuttle, MD, clinical professor of Medicine at University of Washington Medicine and executive director for Research at Providence Health Care, joins the program for a deep dive into new FLOW trial data at the meeting, the role of semaglutide (Ozempic) and GLP-1 receptor agonists in managing kidney disease, and prescribing responsibilities for new therapies with cardio-kidney-metabolic benefits.

To begin the episode, hosts Brendon Neuen, MBBS, PhD, and Shikha Wadhwani, MD, MS, ask Tuttle to review findings from the FLOW trial, particularly the effects of semaglutide on kidney and cardiovascular outcomes. Tuttle details the groundbreaking findings, which concluded semaglutide not only lowers the risk of kidney failure and GFR decline in patients with type 2 diabetes but also significantly reduces cardiovascular events and overall mortality.

They go on to discuss FLOW’s hierarchy of tested outcomes, confirming its broad efficacy across various levels of kidney function and albuminuria, which they highlight should be a notable reassurance for patients with more advanced CKD stages. Tuttle emphasizes the consistency of benefits regardless of SGLT2 inhibitor usage, pointing to potential additive effects when combining these therapies. The group also addresses semaglutide’s surprising reduction in infection rates, including COVID-19, which may point to its immune-modulating effects.

Tuttle encourages nephrologists to take an active role in prescribing GLP-1 receptor agonists to enhance holistic, cross-specialty care for patients with CKD. The episode concludes with a call to action for nephrologists to adopt a comprehensive approach to cardiovascular risk management, integrating these new therapies as a primary tool in improving outcomes for patients with complex, interconnected health needs.

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Relevant disclosures for Tuttle include Eli Lilly and Company, Boehringer Ingelheim, Astra Zeneca, Gilead, Goldfinch Bio, Novo Nordisk, Travere Therapeutics, and Bayer. Relevant disclosures for Neuen include AstraZeneca, Bayer, Boehringer and Ingelheim, Janssen, and others. Relevant disclosures for Wadhwani include the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, GSK, Calliditas and Travere Therapeutics.