Nephrology Month in Review: January 2025

The field of nephrology began 2025 with a wave of significant developments, setting the stage for a year of progress in treatment, equitable care, and enhanced understanding of renal disease.

The lone regulatory approval of the month was a major one for patients with type 2 diabetes and chronic kidney disease (CKD), who now have semaglutide (Ozempic) as a treatment option to reduce the risk of kidney disease worsening, kidney failure, and death due to cardiovascular disease.

Outside of the pipeline, January was characterized by new research into racial, ethnic, and age-based disparities in kidney care, especially for pediatric patients, as well as key insights into IgA nephropathy (IgAN) incidence, prevalence, and prognosis.

Check out the January 2025 nephrology month in review for a recap of HCPLive’s coverage of the top renal news and research from the past few weeks:

Semaglutide Makes Waves in Nephrology

FDA Approves Semaglutide (Ozempic) for Type 2 Diabetes, Chronic Kidney Disease

On January 28, 2025, the US Food and Drug Administration approved Novo Nordisk’s semaglutide (Ozempic) for adults with type 2 diabetes and CKD based on findings from the phase 3b FLOW kidney outcomes trial, which demonstrated semaglutide’s statistically significant and superior 24% relative risk reduction of kidney disease worsening, end-stage kidney disease, and death due to cardiovascular disease compared with placebo when added to standard of care.

Related: Understanding Semaglutide for Diabetes and CKD, with Pranav Garimella, MBBS, MPH

Social Determinants of Renal Health

Racial, Ethnic Pediatric Kidney Transplant Disparities Suggest Inequities in ESRD Care

Findings from this analysis of data from the US Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients for more than 10,000 pediatric kidney transplant recipients suggest non-Hispanic Black and Hispanic children are less likely to undergo preemptive transplantation and, once listed, face longer wait times compared to non-Hispanic White children.

“These findings implore greater policy changes to improve access to care, financial support beyond insurance, and systemic structural changes to better support minority children with ESRD,” investigators wrote. “Additional research is needed to further delineate the factors driving this disparity and enact policies and procedures to improve outcomes across all racial and ethnic groups.”

Current Kidney Transplant Policies Disadvantage Certain Adolescents, Young Adults

The “pediatric advantage” of current kidney transplant allocation policies can prove detrimental for patients who initiate dialysis as children but are not waitlisted until after 18 years of age, according to findings from this study. Instead of obtaining a high-quality deceased donor organ, these patients are the most likely to be removed from the waitlist, spend the longest time on dialysis, have the longest allocation time, and demonstrate the worst graft survival.

What’s New in IgA Nephropathy

Metabolic Syndrome Components Influence IgA Nephropathy Prognosis, Study Finds 

Findings from this study point to a significant association between metabolic syndrome (MS) components and IgAN prognosis, with the risk of adverse outcomes increasing as the number of MS components increases. Of note, blood pressure was found to be the most significant factor influencing IgAN outcomes.

New Research Provides Insight Into Incidence, Prevalence of IgAN in the United States

While data on the true incidence and prevalence of IgAN in the US are sparse, a recent study leveraging large US-based claims datasets and pathologist input estimated the overall annual incidence of IgAN was 2.1-2.2 per 100,000 and the total prevalence was 198,887-208,184 persons in 2021.

Clinical Data at IgAN Diagnosis Insufficient to Predict Long-Term Risk, Study Finds

New research suggests clinical data at IgAN diagnosis offer limited insight into the long-term risks patients face. Study findings suggest a more comprehensive understanding of disease progression can be obtained using longitudinal data beyond the initial diagnosis for assessing the risk of kidney failure and optimizing patient outcomes.