Finerenone in Type 1 Diabetes and Chronic Kidney Disease

The nonsteroidal mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist finerenone has been reported to improve kidney and cardiovascular outcomes in persons with type 2 diabetes and chronic kidney disease (CKD). The efficacy and safety of finerenone in persons with type 1 diabetes and CKD are unknown.

We conducted a phase 3 trial involving adults who had type 1 diabetes, CKD (estimated glomerular filtration rate [eGFR], 25 to <90 ml per minute per 1.73 m² of body-surface area), and albuminuria (urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio [with albumin measured in milligrams and creatinine measured in grams], 200 to <5000) and were receiving an angiotensin-converting-enzyme (ACE) inhibitor or an angiotensin-receptor blocker. Participants were randomly assigned to receive finerenone (10 or 20 mg per day, depending on the eGFR) or matching placebo. The primary outcome was the relative change in the urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio over a period of 6 months.

A total of 242 participants underwent randomization. The median urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio decreased from 574.6 at baseline to 373.5 at 6 months among all the participants assigned to receive finerenone and from 506.4 to 475.6 among those assigned to receive placebo. Over a period of 6 months, the urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio decreased by 34% with finerenone (geometric mean ratio to baseline, 0.66; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.60 to 0.73) and 12% with placebo (geometric mean ratio to baseline, 0.88; 95% CI, 0.79 to 0.98), which corresponded to a 25% greater reduction with finerenone than with placebo (geometric mean ratio for finerenone vs. placebo, 0.75; 95% CI, 0.65 to 0.87; P<0.001). The most common adverse event was hyperkalemia (in 12 participants [10.1%] with finerenone and in 4 [3.3%] with placebo); 2 participants (1.7%) discontinued finerenone because of hyperkalemia. At 6 months, the change in the eGFR was -5.6 ml per minute per 1.73 m² with finerenone and -2.7 ml per minute per 1.73 m² with placebo (difference, -2.9 ml per minute per 1.73 m²; 95% CI, -5.1 to -0.7); eGFR values approached baseline levels during the washout period.

In adults with type 1 diabetes and CKD, finerenone resulted in a significantly greater decrease in the urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio than placebo. (Funded by Bayer; FINE-ONE ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT05901831.).