Finerenone: A Novel Drug Discovery for the Treatment of Chronic Kidney Disease

Abstract

Background: The most common cause of chronic kidney disease (CKD) is diabetic nephropathy (DN). Primarily mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists (MRAs) (spironolactone and eplerenone), angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors or angiotensin receptor blockers were used for the treatment of CKD, but due to the high risk of hyperkalaemia, the combination was infrequently used. Currently after approval by FDA in 2021, finerenone was found to be effective in the treatment of CKD. Finerenone slowdowns the progression of diabetic nephropathy and lessens the cardiovascular morbidity in DN patients. Objective: The main objective of this review article is to provide a comprehensive and insightful overview of the role of finerenone by mainly focusing on its pharmacological properties, toxicity, uses, bioanalytical technique used for determination, and treatment options. Materials and Method: Finerenone works by inhibiting the action of the mineralocorticoid receptor. Finerenone is quickly absorbed from the digestive tract after oral treatment and achieves peak plasma concentrations in 1-2 hours. Result: Finerenone is actively metabolized through oxidation, epoxidation substitution, and direct hydroxylation. Elimination of finerenone is done through urine and feces. Determination of finerenone can be done through HPLC-MS and LSC. Conclusion: The present review covers the complete picture of ADME properties, bioanalytical techniques, clinical trials, toxicity, and possible avenues in this arena. Finerenone is effective compared to other mineralocorticoid receptor-like spironolactone and eplerenone, for the treatment of chronic kidney disease.