EASi-KIDNEY^TM is a new international, multi-centre, randomised double-blind placebo-controlled trial which will assess whether a new drug called vicadrostat, also known as BI 690517, reduces the risk of kidney disease progression, hospitalisation for heart failure or death from cardiovascular disease in people with chronic kidney disease when it is added to standard care including empagliflozin.

Our EMPA-KIDNEY trial which studied 6,609 volunteer kidney patients, showed that empagliflozin reduces the risk of needing dialysis or a kidney transplant or death from cardiovascular disease in people who have kidney disease. Empagliflozin is now recommended for most adults with chronic kidney disease worldwide.

Although empagliflozin approximately halves the rate of long-term decline in kidney function, it is not a cure for chronic kidney disease, and patients are still at risk of both progression to kidney failure and cardiovascular disease. Heart failure is a particular feature of chronic kidney disease, and cardiovascular disease is the most common underlying cause of death in people with kidney problems.

First participants recruited to the EASi-KIDNEY^TM trial.