Large international studies have found that the kidney disease drug finerenone may benefit far more patients than current treatment guidelines recommend.
Researchers reported that the medication helps protect kidney function, lowers the risk of cardiovascular complications, and improves survival in people with chronic kidney disease (CKD). The benefits were seen not only in patients with diabetes but also in those with non-diabetic CKD and certain forms of glomerular disease.
The findings were presented at the European Renal Association Congress in Glasgow, United Kingdom, and were simultaneously published in three leading medical journals: The Lancet, The New England Journal of Medicine, and JAMA. Achieving publication in all three journals at the same time is an uncommon milestone in clinical research.
Finerenone Shows Promise Beyond Diabetes
Finerenone is a non-steroidal mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist currently approved to treat CKD associated with type 2 diabetes. Researchers have become increasingly interested in whether the drug could help a broader range of kidney disease patients because excessive activation of the mineralocorticoid receptor contributes to inflammation and scarring in many kidney disorders.
