Hypertension is the biggest risk factor for chronic kidney disease (CKD), a serious condition that is currently irreversible except in early stages. The progression of CKD can be measured by the level of a protein called albumin in the urine: the higher the level of albumin, the worse kidney function is. The research team, led by Jamie Dwyer, MD, professor of nephrology and hypertension and assistant vice president for clinical research at University of Utah Health, primarily investigated baxdrostat’s effects on blood pressure. However, they checked kidney function as well in an exploratory analysis.
Preliminary results show that after half a year of treatment, people who received baxdrostat had less than half the levels of urine albumin as their peers undergoing standard treatment, suggesting that their kidneys were markedly healthier. Phase III clinical trials are underway to further test baxdrostat’s impact on kidney function.