By: IPP Bureau
Last updated : June 05, 2026 5:48 pm
The drug currently approved for chronic kidney disease (CKD) associated with type 2 diabetes, may benefit a much broader group of patients than previously recognized
Finerenone is a non-steroidal mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist that targets inflammation and fibrosis, two key drivers of kidney disease progression.
Researchers from The George Institute for Global Health investigated whether the drug’s benefits could extend beyond its current approved use.
In this context, a series of landmark studies were presented at the European Renal Association Congress and published simultaneously in The Lancet, The New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM), and JAMA.
The centerpiece of the findings was the FIND-CKD trial, led by Professor Hiddo Heerspink of The George Institute and Professor Vlado Perkovic of UNSW Sydney.
The study enrolled 1,584 patients with non-diabetic CKD across 24 countries and found that adding finerenone to standard care significantly slowed the decline in kidney function.
The treatment reduced the risk of kidney failure, CKD progression, heart failure, or cardiovascular death by 23%, according to results published in NEJM.
A second analysis, published in JAMA and led by Associate Professor Brendon Neuen of The George Institute, focused on patients with glomerular diseases. In this subgroup, finerenone reduced the risk of kidney failure or CKD progression by 26% compared with placebo.
The drug also lowered albuminuria—a key marker of kidney damage—by 42% after 12 months of treatment.
In a third study published in The Lancet, researchers pooled data from FIND-CKD and two previous phase III trials involving diabetic CKD. The combined analysis included 14,574 patients with both diabetic and non-diabetic CKD.
Commenting on the findings, Associate Professor Brendon Neuen, Lead Global Clinical Trialist at The George Institute, said the results support finerenone as a foundational therapy for CKD.
“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,” he said.