A big international study discovered that the medicine finerenone can slow down kidney damage in people who have chronic kidney disease (CKD) but do not have diabetes. This could give doctors a new tool for many patients who previously had few options.
What the Study Looked At
Researchers from the University Medical Center Groningen followed 1,584 adults with CKD for about three years. All participants had reduced kidney function and high levels of protein in their urine, a sign that the kidneys might keep getting worse.
People were randomly given either a daily pill of finerenone or a harmless placebo. Everyone also kept taking their usual medicines, such as ACE inhibitors or ARBs.
How Finerenone Helped Kidneys
The scientists measured kidney performance using the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR). This number tells how well the kidneys clean waste from the blood.
Patients who took finerenone showed a clear, statistically‑significant slowdown in the drop of eGFR compared with those on placebo. The difference was big enough to matter in everyday medical practice.
Lower Risk of Serious Problems
The study also found fewer serious events in the finerenone group. Fewer people needed hospital care for heart failure, fewer had major kidney events, and fewer died from heart‑related causes.
Specifically, 13.9% of the finerenone group faced a major complication versus 16.9% in the placebo group – a risk reduction of about 23%.
Big Drop in Urine Protein
Protein in the urine dropped sharply for those taking finerenone. On average, protein levels fell by more than 41%, while the placebo group saw only about a 9% drop. Over half of the finerenone patients cut their urine protein by at least 30%.
Why This Matters for Non‑Diabetic CKD
Earlier large trials focused on people with type‑2 diabetes. This new research shows finerenone also works well for patients without diabetes, who make up more than half of all CKD cases worldwide – roughly 800 million adults.
Safety and Future Use
The medication was safe throughout the study, with no new safety concerns. Experts say finerenone could become an important addition to standard care, helping to keep kidneys working longer and lowering heart‑related problems for a large, underserved group.