Bayer AG (BRY.L) announced that its Phase 3 FIND-CKD trial has met its primary endpoint, showing that Finerenone, significantly slowed kidney function decline in adults with non-diabetic chronic kidney disease. The results mark a major milestone for patients who currently have limited treatment options.
Chronic kidney disease affects an estimated 850 million people worldwide, and more than half of them have non-diabetic forms of the condition. These patients often experience a gradual loss of kidney function and face a substantially higher risk of kidney failure and cardiovascular complications. Despite the scale of the problem, treatment options remain limited, and non-diabetic CKD is underrepresented in clinical guidelines.
Finerenone, marketed as Kerendia, first approved in 2021, is now available in more than 100 countries for CKD associated with type 2 diabetes and for certain forms of heart failure. The drug has become one of Bayer's strongest growth drivers, generating EUR 565 million in the first nine months of 2025 from EUR 326 million a year earlier.
The FIND-CKD study- the largest Phase 3 trial to date focused specifically on non-diabetic CKD-evaluated Finerenone versus placebo on top of standard-of-care therapy in more than 1,500 adults. Patients received either 10 mg or 20 mg of Finerenone or placebo in addition to maximally tolerated doses of ACE inhibitors or ARBs.
The trial's primary endpoint measured the annual rate of change in estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) over 32 months, a validated surrogate marker for kidney disease progression. Finerenone achieved statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvement in eGFR slope compared with placebo, indicating a slower decline in kidney function. The safety profile was consistent with previous studies of the drug.
Secondary endpoints included a combined cardio-kidney outcome assessing kidney failure, sustained eGFR decline of at least 57%, hospitalization for heart failure, or cardiovascular death. Full results will be presented at an upcoming scientific conference.
Experts involved in the study highlighted the importance of the findings. Hiddo L. Heerspink, Professor of Clinical Trials and Personalized Medicine, clinical trialist at the Department of Clinical Pharmacy and Pharmacology at the University Medical Center Groningen, Netherlands, and Co-Chair of the study's Executive Committee, noted that patients with non-diabetic CKD face a high risk of kidney failure and cardiovascular events, and emphasized the need for new therapies that can slow disease progression.
Bayer plans to submit the FIND-CKD data to global health authorities to seek an expanded indication for Kerendia in non-diabetic CKD.
BRY.L has traded between EUR 39.19 and EUR 39.94 over the past year. The stock is currently trading at EUR 39.78, up 3.10%.
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