Bayer expands Kerendia™ (finerenone) indication in India to address unmet needs in heart failure

Bayer has announced that its innovative therapy Kerendia™ (finerenone) has received approval in India for the treatment of adult patients with heart failure with a preserved and mildly reduced ejection fraction (HFpEF/HFmrEF).

This builds on finerenone’s existing approval (received in India in 2022) for chronic kidney disease (CKD) associated with type 2 diabetes (T2D), where it has already been proven to slow kidney disease progression and reduce cardiovascular (CV) risk.

HFpEF is diagnosed through a combination of clinical assessment, echocardiography and advanced blood tests like biomarkers. The diagnosis is often difficult because patients don’t show clear changes on routine heart tests, symptoms such as breathlessness, fatigue, swelling in the legs and ankles and reduced exercise tolerance can be confused with other conditions, and advanced blood tests are not always available.

Shweta Rai, Managing Director - India and Country Division Head - South Asia, Bayer’s Pharmaceutical Division, said, “Our focus is on bringing breakthrough therapies to Indian patients faster, in areas where the unmet medical need is the greatest. With the expansion of finerenone’s indication, we are addressing types of heart failure that account for nearly half of all heart failure cases but have had limited proven treatment options. Together with its role in chronic kidney disease linked to type 2 diabetes, finerenone represents Bayer’s innovation against India’s most pressing health burdens such as cardiovascular disease and chronic kidney disease, strengthening our commitment to reimagining cardiovascular care and improving patient outcomes in the country.”

Finerenone is a non-steroidal, selective mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist that blocks Mineralocorticoid receptor (MR) overactivation - a key driver of inflammation and fibrosis in both the heart and the kidney. By targeting this pathway, it provides dual organ protection and is the only therapy proven to deliver consistent benefits across chronic kidney disease linked to type 2 diabetes as well as heart failure with preserved or mildly reduced ejection fraction.