Bayer to Present 11 Cardiovascular and Kidney Research Updates at ESC Congress 2026

New data will cover KERENDIA, cardiac amyloidosis and stroke prevention

Bayer will present 11 oral presentations covering its cardiovascular, kidney and secondary stroke prevention research programs at the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) Congress 2026 in Munich, Germany, from August 28 to 31.

The company’s presentations will include new and late-breaking data on KERENDIA (finerenone), investigational iodine 124 evuzamitide for cardiac amyloidosis, and asundexian for secondary stroke prevention.

For Bayer, the meeting is an opportunity to share clinical data from several programs that are being developed for conditions where early diagnosis, better disease management and new treatment options are still needed.

Late-breaking data on KERENDIA

One of the main areas of focus will be KERENDIA (finerenone), Bayer’s non-steroidal mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist.

Two late-breaking presentations will provide additional information about the medicine in chronic kidney disease (CKD).

The first presentation will come from the Phase III FIND-CKD study. It will focus on patients with CKD without diabetes and hypertensive nephropathy.

The second will present the INFINITY pooled analysis, which looks at the efficacy and safety of finerenone in people with CKD with and without a history of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease.

Bayer will also present additional analyses looking at finerenone in heart failure patients with a left ventricular ejection fraction of 40% or higher.

What KERENDIA is currently approved for

KERENDIA is already approved in the United States for adults with CKD associated with type 2 diabetes.

It is also approved for adults with heart failure and a left ventricular ejection fraction of 40% or higher.

The drug is being studied across a wider range of cardiovascular and kidney conditions. The new ESC presentations are expected to provide more information about how finerenone may perform across different patient groups.

New cardiac amyloidosis data from iodine 124 evuzamitide

Bayer will also present full Phase III results for iodine 124 evuzamitide for the first time.

The investigational PET radiotracer is being studied as a diagnostic imaging agent for people with suspected cardiac amyloidosis.

The REVEAL study evaluated the sensitivity and specificity of iodine 124 evuzamitide based on visual interpretation of PET scans.

Cardiac amyloidosis can be difficult to diagnose because its symptoms can overlap with other heart conditions. Better imaging tools could therefore help doctors identify the disease more accurately.

Iodine 124 evuzamitide remains investigational. It has not been approved by any health authority for any indication.

The compound has received FDA Breakthrough Therapy Designation for PET imaging in patients with suspected or known cardiac amyloidosis. It has also received Orphan Drug Designation for light-chain amyloidosis and transthyretin amyloidosis in the United States and European Union.

New analysis of asundexian for secondary stroke prevention

Bayer will also share a new analysis from the Phase III OCEANIC-STROKE trial.

The analysis will examine how participant characteristics affected their response to asundexian in secondary stroke prevention.

Asundexian is an investigational, once-daily oral Factor XIa inhibitor. It is being studied as a potential option for reducing the risk of another stroke in adults following a non-cardioembolic ischemic stroke or high-risk transient ischemic attack.

The drug is designed to reduce thrombus formation while potentially limiting the increase in major bleeding that can occur with some existing anticoagulant approaches.

Asundexian has not been approved by any health authority for any indication.

Bayer's ESC 2026 presentation schedule

Bayer's 11 oral presentations will cover several areas of cardiovascular, kidney and cerebrovascular medicine.

Cardiac amyloidosis

The Phase III REVEAL study of iodine 124 evuzamitide will be presented during the Late-Breaking Clinical Science session focused on cardiac amyloidosis.

The presentation is scheduled for August 30 from 1:45 PM to 2:00 PM CEST in Achgabat, Hall A3.

Chronic kidney disease

Several presentations will focus on finerenone and CKD.

The FIND-CKD analysis on finerenone in patients with hypertensive nephropathy is scheduled for August 30 from 1:45 PM to 2:00 PM CEST in Rome, ICM.

The INFINITY pooled analysis will follow from 2:45 PM to 3:00 PM CEST in the same location.

Other CKD presentations will examine blood pressure variability, the use of finerenone with empagliflozin across different body mass indexes, and real-world effectiveness and safety data from the FOUNTAIN platform.

Heart failure

Bayer will also present several analyses involving finerenone and heart failure.

These include an analysis of serum sodium from the FINEARTS-HF study, cardiovascular-kidney-metabolic overlap in heart failure, and pooled data examining time spent within blood pressure ranges and cardiovascular outcomes.

A Phase II presentation on baseline characteristics from the GenePHIT study will also be featured. The study is evaluating AB-1002 gene therapy in patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction.

Secondary stroke prevention

The OCEANIC-STROKE analysis will examine dual antiplatelet therapy during the first 90 days following randomization and how participant characteristics interacted with asundexian treatment.

The presentation is scheduled for August 31 from 1:15 PM to 1:30 PM CEST in Bratislava, ICM.

Why the new data matters

Cardiovascular and kidney diseases often overlap. A patient with kidney disease may also face a higher risk of heart failure or cardiovascular events, while blood pressure and metabolic problems can further increase that risk.

This is one reason Bayer is studying finerenone across different patient populations instead of focusing on a single condition.

The company is also working on earlier identification of difficult diseases such as cardiac amyloidosis and exploring new approaches to prevent another stroke.

“Bayer is committed to further researching and providing resources to support prevention, early diagnosis, and management for people with heart and kidney conditions, as well as stroke,” said Robert Perkins, MD, Vice President, US Medical Affairs.

KERENDIA safety considerations

While KERENDIA has demonstrated benefits in its approved uses, it also has important safety considerations.

The most important risk is hyperkalemia, or increased potassium levels in the blood. The risk can be higher in people with reduced kidney function or other factors that increase potassium levels.

Doctors are advised to measure serum potassium and estimated glomerular filtration rate before starting treatment and during treatment.

KERENDIA is also associated with a risk of worsening kidney function in some patients with heart failure.

Other commonly reported adverse reactions include hypotension and hyponatremia.

The medicine is contraindicated in patients with hypersensitivity to its components, those taking strong CYP3A4 inhibitors and patients with adrenal insufficiency.

What iodine 124 evuzamitide could add to cardiac amyloidosis diagnosis

Cardiac amyloidosis happens when abnormal protein deposits build up in the heart and affect its function.

The disease can be caused by different types of amyloid, including AL and ATTR amyloidosis.

Iodine 124 evuzamitide is being developed as a PET imaging agent that could help doctors assess amyloid deposits in the heart.

The Phase III REVEAL results will provide a closer look at how accurately the imaging approach can identify cardiac amyloidosis.

The results are particularly important because the compound is still under investigation and has not yet received regulatory approval.

Bayer continues work across cardiovascular and kidney medicine

Bayer has built a portfolio of medicines and investigational compounds focused on cardiovascular, kidney and cerebrovascular diseases.

Its research programs include heart failure, chronic kidney disease, cardiomyopathies and secondary stroke prevention.

The company is also studying how these conditions interact. This includes the cardiovascular-kidney-metabolic relationship, where several diseases can influence each other and increase overall patient risk.

The ESC Congress 2026 presentations will give researchers and physicians an opportunity to review data from these different programs in one setting.

About Bayer

Bayer is a global life sciences company operating across healthcare and nutrition. Its healthcare business develops medicines and other products aimed at addressing major health challenges associated with an aging and growing population.

The company has research and commercial operations across multiple therapeutic areas and continues to invest in cardiovascular, kidney and cerebrovascular medicine.