Novo Nordisk said on Tuesday the U.S. FDA has approved its blockbuster drug Ozempic to lower the risk of progression of chronic kidney disease and the organ's failure, and death due to heart problems in adults with type 2 diabetes.

Ozempic, or semaglutide, can now be used to reduce the risk of worsening kidney disease or kidney failure in adults with type 2 diabetes and chronic kidney disease, Novo Nordisk said.

Ozempic’s expanded approval in the U.S. could transform how doctors treat patients with the condition, which involves a gradual loss of kidney function.

Novo's blockbuster diabetes drug Ozempic belongs to a class of drugs known as GLP-1 receptor agonists and has the same active ingredient as its popular obesity treatment Wegovy. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration's approval makes the drug,

Regulators have approved the drug as a treatment for weight loss, Type 2 diabetes and lowering the risk of heart attacks and strokes.