One year after its FDA approval for HF treatment, a new FINEARTS-HF substudy shows Bayer’s Kerendia (finerenone) isn’t just impervious to BP differences, it could actually give a small leg up to patients with hypertension.
- In 2021, Kerendia received approval for CKD, which affects an estimated 30-60% of HF patients.
- Then in July of 2025, the drug was approved for HFmrEF/HFpEF.
- In the context of BP, Kerendia helps balance fluid in HF patients with kidney dysfunction that drives BP increases.
A FINEARTS-HF refresher: The trial randomized 6k patients with HFmrEF/HFpEF to treatment with either Kerendia or placebo. Now this substudy data keeps on giving, with researchers splitting participants into BP-based groups ranging from <120 mmHg to ≥140 mmHg, and finding…
- Compared to placebo, Kerendia greatly reduced cardiovascular death and total HF events regardless of BP.
- Kerendia may also help chip away at hypertension, triggering a 2.8 mmHg average reduction in systolic BP.
- The rate of adverse events that led to a pause in treatment hovered around just 2-4% for all BP groups across both finerenone and placebo.
Recent research has shown that patients with CKM aren’t receiving adequate treatment, so Kerendia’s collection of independent effects might support closing this care gap.
- Kerendia helps patients with HF, CKD, or both, meaning it can stop the fluid retention feedback loop and reduce HF symptoms like swelling and shortness of breath.
- Less symptoms = less time in the clinic, potentially reducing HF’s healthcare burden.
- With CKD’s prevalence in HF patients, finding a medication that works regardless of BP prevents over- or undercorrection in dosing, keeping patients safer for longer.
The Takeaway
Bayer can add another win to the list: Kerendia’s impressive impacts on HF exist independent of BP. With many individuals living with dual CKD-HF diagnoses and their effects on BP, these findings mean the medication could help reduce both the clinical and systematic burden of HF.
