ST. PAUL, Minn., Nov. 6 (UPI) -- Positive results from a late-stage clinical trial released Thursday have raised hopes that type 1 diabetes patients who suffer from chronic kidney disease will have a new treatment for the first time in decades.
The results of the Phase 3 trial, unveiled at American Society of Nephrology annual conference in Houston, found that the drug finerenone, made by pharma giant Bayer and marketed under the brand name Kerendia, is safe and effective in treating type 1 diabetics who also suffer from chronic kidney disease.
The study comes as the global burden of type 1 diabetes is increasing every year, carrying significant implications for public health systems worldwide.
It's an autoimmune condition in which the body begins attacking insulin-producing cells in the pancreas silently and without warning. In its two earliest stages, the disease has no symptoms and is detectable only through blood screening for antibodies.
At stage 3, symptoms such as extreme hunger, unintended weight loss, fatigue and weakness, blurred vision and mood changes manifest themselves and insulin treatments become necessary.
