Bayer's INFINITY Analysis Shows Finerenone Delivers Long-Term Kidney and Heart Protection in Chronic Kidney Disease

Bayer has announced encouraging results from its INFINITY pooled analysis, showing that finerenone significantly reduces the risk of kidney failure and cardiovascular complications in patients living with chronic kidney disease (CKD).

The findings were presented during a Late-Breaking Clinical Trials session at the 63rd European Renal Association (ERA) Congress 2026 and were simultaneously published in The Lancet.

The results provide further evidence that finerenone may help protect both kidney and heart health across a broad range of CKD patients, including those with diabetic and non-diabetic kidney disease.

What Is the INFINITY Analysis?

The INFINITY analysis combined data from three completed Phase III clinical trials:

• FIDELIO-DKD
• FIGARO-DKD
• FIND-CKD

Together, these studies included more than 14,500 patients, making INFINITY the largest pooled analysis of finerenone's effectiveness and safety in chronic kidney disease.

Researchers wanted to understand how well finerenone performs across different CKD patient populations, including those with type 2 diabetes and those with kidney disease caused by other conditions.

Finerenone Reduced Risk of Kidney Failure

One of the most important findings from the analysis was the impact on kidney disease progression.

Over a median follow-up period of three years, patients receiving finerenone experienced a 24% lower risk of kidney failure or a major decline in kidney function compared to those receiving placebo.

The treatment also reduced the risk of kidney failure alone by 15%.

These findings suggest that finerenone may help slow the progression of chronic kidney disease and delay serious outcomes that often require dialysis or kidney transplantation.

Significant Benefits for Heart Health

Chronic kidney disease and cardiovascular disease are closely connected. As kidney function declines, the risk of heart-related complications often increases.

The INFINITY analysis showed that finerenone reduced the risk of hospitalization for heart failure or cardiovascular death by 20% compared with placebo.

Researchers also reported reductions in:

• Heart failure hospitalizations
• Cardiovascular deaths
• All-cause mortality
• Need for dialysis or kidney transplantation

These results highlight finerenone's ability to provide protection beyond the kidneys.

Benefits Seen Across Different Patient Groups

One of the key strengths of the INFINITY analysis was the consistency of results.

The positive effects of finerenone were observed regardless of:

• Whether patients had diabetic or non-diabetic CKD
• The underlying cause of kidney disease
• Baseline kidney function
• Albuminuria levels
• Use of SGLT-2 inhibitor therapies

This suggests that finerenone may offer benefits to a broad range of patients living with chronic kidney disease.

Experts Highlight the Importance of the Findings

Dr. Brendon L. Neuen, Lead Global Clinical Trialist at The George Institute for Global Health and Director of Kidney Trials at Royal North Shore Hospital in Australia, said the results represent an important advancement in CKD treatment.

According to Dr. Neuen, the consistency of benefits across different patient populations helps strengthen confidence in finerenone's role in protecting patients from both kidney failure and cardiovascular disease.

He noted that these findings support expanding the role of finerenone to a much broader CKD population.

Bayer Reinforces Confidence in Finerenone

Dr. Christian Rommel, Global Head of Research and Development at Bayer's Pharmaceuticals Division, stated that the analysis demonstrates finerenone's potential to improve multiple kidney and cardiovascular outcomes.

With evidence gathered from more than 14,500 patients, Bayer believes finerenone can serve as a foundational treatment option for individuals facing a high risk of kidney disease progression and cardiovascular complications.

The company also emphasized that finerenone continues to show a favorable safety profile across different patient populations.

Understanding How Finerenone Works

Finerenone belongs to a class of medicines known as selective non-steroidal mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists (nsMRAs).

Mineralocorticoid receptor overactivation is believed to play a major role in kidney disease progression by promoting inflammation and fibrosis. These processes contribute to ongoing kidney damage and cardiovascular complications.

By blocking this pathway, finerenone helps reduce the harmful effects associated with chronic kidney disease and cardiovascular damage.

This mechanism is relevant in both diabetic and non-diabetic kidney disease, which helps explain the consistent benefits observed across patient groups.

Why Chronic Kidney Disease Remains a Major Health Challenge

Chronic kidney disease affects an estimated 850 million people worldwide and is responsible for approximately 1.5 million deaths each year.

One of the biggest challenges with CKD is that it often develops silently. Many patients do not experience noticeable symptoms until the disease has progressed significantly.

As kidney function declines, patients may experience:

• Fatigue
• Swelling in the legs
• Muscle cramps
• Nausea
• Joint pain
• Difficulty concentrating
• Memory problems

In advanced stages, patients may require dialysis or a kidney transplant to survive.

Major causes of CKD include diabetes, high blood pressure, and several forms of glomerular disease.

Looking Ahead

The INFINITY analysis adds to the growing body of evidence supporting finerenone as an important treatment option for chronic kidney disease.

By reducing the risk of kidney failure, cardiovascular complications, and mortality across both diabetic and non-diabetic CKD populations, finerenone continues to demonstrate its value in long-term disease management.

As healthcare providers look for ways to slow disease progression and improve patient outcomes, these latest findings provide further confidence in finerenone's role as a therapy that protects both kidney and heart health.

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