GLASGOW, U.K. — New clinical trial findings indicate that finerenone preserves kidney function, reduces cardiovascular risk, and improves survival across a broader range of chronic kidney disease patients than currently recommended. The findings were presented at the European Renal Association Congress in Glasgow, U.K.
The FIND-CKD trial assessed finerenone in 1,584 patients with non-diabetic chronic kidney disease from 24 countries. When added to standard care, finerenone slowed kidney function decline.
The trial reported that finerenone reduced the risk of kidney failure, chronic kidney disease progression, heart failure, or cardiovascular death by 23 percent. The FIND-CKD trial results were published in The New England Journal of Medicine.
A second analysis focused on chronic kidney disease patients with glomerular diseases. In these patients, finerenone reduced the risk of kidney failure or chronic kidney disease progression by 26 percent compared with placebo. In this patient group, finerenone also lowered albuminuria by 42 percent at 12 months. This analysis was led by Associate Professor Brendon Neuen and published in JAMA.
Researchers pooled data from the FIND-CKD trial with two prior phase III trials in diabetic chronic kidney disease, including 14,574 patients. In the pooled analysis, finerenone reduced the risk of kidney failure or chronic kidney disease progression by 24 percent versus placebo. Finerenone also reduced the risk of hospitalization for heart failure or cardiovascular death by 20 percent in the pooled analysis. This pooled analysis was also led by Neuen and published in The Lancet.
Finerenone reduced all-cause death by 12 percent versus placebo in the pooled analysis. The treatment effects of finerenone were consistent regardless of diabetes status, underlying kidney disease, or baseline kidney function. Chronic kidney disease affects approximately 850 million individuals globally and is projected to become the fifth largest contributor of premature death by 2040.
Finerenone is a non-steroidal mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist currently approved for the treatment of chronic kidney disease associated with type 2 diabetes. Across all three studies, finerenone was generally well tolerated.
Hyperkalaemia occurred more frequently with finerenone compared to placebo. Rates of treatment discontinuation and hospitalization due to Hyperkalaemia were low in the trials.
"Although diabetes is the single most common cause of chronic kidney disease worldwide, most people living with CKD do not have diabetes and currently have few effective treatment options. Addressing this unmet need is critical, as improving outcomes in non-diabetic CKD has the potential to substantially reduce the global burden of kidney disease," Neuen said. "Taken together, these findings suggest that expanding the use of finerenone in patients with CKD has the potential to meaningfully reduce kidney failure and cardiovascular complications for millions of people worldwide." Neuen said.