Studies flag rising threat of chronic kidney disease

Bayer has announced pivotal Phase III results from its FIND-CKD trial, confirming that the non-steroidal mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist finerenone, marketed as KERENDIA, significantly slows kidney disease progression in adults with non-diabetic chronic kidney disease (nd-CKD). The findings, presented at the 63rd European Renal Association (ERA) Congress and simultaneously published in the New England Journal of Medicine on June 5, 2026, represent a critical expansion of treatment options for a patient population with substantial unmet needs. The global burden of Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) is immense, affecting an estimated 850 million people worldwide and projected to become the fifth leading cause of death by 2040. While finerenone is already approved for CKD associated with Type 2 Diabetes (T2D), the FIND-CKD study marks its efficacy across a broader spectrum of non-diabetic etiologies, including hypertension-associated kidney disease and glomerular diseases. This efficacy stems from finerenone unique mechanism, which targets inflammation and fibrosis driven by mineralocorticoid receptor overactivation, offering renal and cardiovascular protection with a favorable safety profile compared to older steroidal MRA. Bayer plans to swiftly submit the FIND-CKD data to regulatory authorities like the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to secure an expanded indication for KERENDIA, aiming to make this therapy accessible to hundreds of millions more patients globally. This breakthrough could fundamentally alter the treatment landscape for non-diabetic CKD, mitigating not only kidney failure but also reducing associated cardiovascular events, thereby addressing a major public health challenge and potentially improving patient outcomes on a vast scale. The pharmaceutical industry will be watching closely for regulatory responses and market uptake, particularly given the historical challenges in the renal market.