Chronic kidney disease affects about 37 million Americans, often caused by diabetes or high blood pressure. Treatment focuses on slowing progression through blood pressure control, diabetes management, and drugs that protect the kidneys. Most people with CKD never reach kidney failure, but roughly 800,000 Americans are on dialysis or living with a transplant.
What's actually going on in research
Trials are testing SGLT2 inhibitors and finerenone, which reduce kidney decline in diabetes-related CKD, alongside drugs that target fibrosis and inflammation pathways. Research also addresses anemia, mineral bone disease, and cardiovascular risk. Stem cell approaches and bioartificial kidneys are in early stages for people approaching kidney failure.
SGLT2 inhibitors and finerenone
These diabetes drugs slow CKD progression even in people without diabetes. Dapagliflozin and empagliflozin are now FDA-approved for CKD, and trials are testing whether combining them with finerenone offers added protection.
Anti-fibrotic therapies
Several drugs aim to reduce kidney scarring, the core process driving CKD progression. Trials are testing agents that block pathways like CTGF and endothelin to prevent fibrosis.
Anemia treatments
New oral drugs called HIF-PHI stabilizers stimulate red blood cell production without injections. Several are approved outside the US and being studied as alternatives to traditional erythropoietin shots.
What to know before you search
Eligibility typically depends on kidney function level (eGFR), protein in urine, underlying cause of CKD, and whether you have diabetes or cardiovascular disease.
What types of trials are currently open
- Progression trials — Testing drugs to slow the decline in kidney function, usually measured over months to years. These often involve people with diabetic kidney disease or other high-risk CKD.
- Cardiovascular outcome trials — Testing whether kidney-protective drugs also reduce heart attacks and strokes, which are leading causes of death in people with CKD.
- Anemia trials — Testing new oral drugs or dosing strategies to manage the anemia common in CKD without frequent injections.
- Mineral bone disease trials — Testing treatments for imbalances in calcium, phosphorus, and parathyroid hormone that occur as kidneys fail.
- Dialysis and transplant studies — Testing new dialysis methods, immunosuppression regimens, and approaches to improve outcomes for people with kidney failure.
Recently added Chronic Kidney Disease trials
Inflammatory Cytokines and Oxidative Stress Biomarkers in Diabetic Chronic Kidney Disease Patients
This research intends to analyze how a 12-week adjustment in lifestyle influences inflammatory cytokines and oxidative stress indicators in overweight individuals diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and moderate CKD
Reference Values for Lower-Limb Dynamometry in Patients With Chronic Kidney Disease (REHAD-CKD)
Patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) undergoing hemodialysis present musculoskeletal complications, such as sarcopenia, which impair their functionality and are associated with an increased risk of mortality. Functional assessment in this population is complex due to the organization of hemodialysis schedules and patients' dependence on medical transportation, which hinders evaluation outside the dialysis setting. The assessment of lower limb strength is of great relevance, as an adequate level of muscle strength in this region is essential for performing many activities of daily living, including walking, sit-to-stand and stand-to-sit movements, as well as ascending and descending stairs. Our research group has published a study demonstrating the safety and reliability of intradialytic measurement of hip flexion and abduction strength; however, reference values for the dialysis population and for individuals with CKD in general are currently unknown. The primary aim of this study is to propose reference values for hip flexor and abductor muscle strength measured using a hand-held dynamometer in individuals with chronic kidney disease (CKD). Secondary objectives include assessing the association between lower limb muscle strength measured with a hand-held dynamometer and handgrip strength, physical activity level, frailty, gait speed, performance in the 10-repetition sit-to-stand-to-sit test, ultrasound assessment of the rectus femoris muscle, and health-related quality of life.
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