German firm Bayer has launched Finerenone under the brand name Kerendia in India. Finerenone is a first-in-class non-steroidal, selective mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist indicated for patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) associated with type 2 diabetes (T2D).  

Finerenone is different to existing CKD in T2D treatments. It acts by blocking mineralocorticoid receptor (MR) overactivation, which is thought to contribute to CKD progression and cardiovascular damage.

The pivotal Phase III clinical trial programme of Finerenone involving more than 13000 patients globally was undertaken to investigate the safety and efficacy of kidney and cardiovascular outcomes in patients with chronic kidney disease associated with type 2 diabetes. The results show that Finerenone significantly reduced the risk of ≥57 per cent Glomerular Filtration Rate (eGFR) kidney composite outcome by 23 per cent on top of optimised Renin-angiotensin system (RAS) blockade, and significantly reduced the risk of the composite CV outcome by 14 per cent.

As per the approval in India, Finerenone is indicated to reduce the risk of sustained Estimated eGFR decline, end-stage kidney disease, cardiovascular death, non-fatal myocardial infarction, and hospitalization for heart failure in adult patients with chronic kidney disease associated with type 2 diabetes.