Bayer Kerendia granted expanded indication in EU for broad range of patients with chronic kidney disease, type 2 diabetes

Results from the pivotal Phase III FIGARO-DKD study were presented at the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) Congress 2021 and simultaneously published in the New England Journal of Medicine. FIGARO-DKD investigated the efficacy and safety of finerenone versus placebo in addition to standard of care on the reduction of CV morbidity and mortality in approximately 7,400 patients with CKD and T2D. The positive data from FIGARO-DKD demonstrated that finerenone significantly reduced the risk of cardiovascular events in adult patients with CKD and T2D versus placebo.

“Patients with chronic kidney disease are faced with an increased risk of cardiovascular events,” said Professor Peter Rossing, Head of Complications Research at the Steno Diabetes Center Copenhagen. “As chronic kidney disease progresses silently, with oftentimes no symptoms in the early stages, patients with type 2 diabetes should be regularly monitored by their doctor for the earliest signs of kidney disease, and once diagnosed should be treated comprehensively to reduce the risk of cardiovascular complications and death.”

Mineralocorticoid receptor (MR) overactivation contributes to CKD progression and CV damage which can be driven by metabolic, hemodynamic, or inflammatory and fibrotic factors. Addressing an alternative pathway, Kerendia offers protection as it selectively binds to the MR receptor, blocking harmful effects of MR overactivation.

“Even when blood glucose levels and blood pressure are well-controlled, the risk of kidney disease progression and cardiovascular events remains high in patients with chronic kidney disease and type 2 diabetes,” said Dr. Michael Devoy, Chief Medical Officer of Bayer’s Pharmaceuticals Division. “Kerendia addresses a key cause of disease progression that is not addressed by other therapies, and offers physicians a distinct path to protect patients from further kidney damage and cardiovascular events. With Kerendia having demonstrated kidney and cardiovascular benefits across a broad spectrum of disease severity in the pivotal Phase III studies, the approval of the label extension supports the use of this drug also in patients with earlier stages^* of chronic kidney disease associated with type II diabetes.”

Based on the positive results of the FIDELIO-DKD Phase III study, Kerendia was granted initial marketing authorization by the European Commission in February 2022 for the treatment of CKD (stage 3 and 4 with albuminuria) associated with T2D in adults. Following this approval by the European Commission, the extended EU label for Kerendia now reflects data from more than 13,000 patients with CKD and T2D, based on both the Phase III FIDELIO-DKD and FIGARO-DKD studies.