Study Reveals Drug is Safe in Patients with PKD at NKF’s Annual Professional Meeting

Late-breaking presentations shared before thousands at virtual NKF’s 2021 Spring Clinical Meetings

April 7, 2021—New York, NY — Today, before the National Kidney Foundation’s Annual Spring Clinical Meetings, which attracts thousands of kidney health professionals, a new study was present that demonstrated the safety and tolerability of Metformin as a potential therapeutic intervention in autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease.

The study, titled A Randomized Trial of Administration of Metformin in PKD (TAME PKD) was presented during the virtual conference by Ronald D. Perrone, MD, Tufts Medical Center and Professor of Medicine at Tufts University School of Medicine and Nephrologist and Scientific Director of the Clinical and Translational Research Center at Tufts Medical Center.

“Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease is the most common hereditary kidney disease and the 4th leading cause of end-stage kidney disease,” Dr. Perrone said. “Demonstration of the safety and tolerability of metformin in participants with PKD and GFR >50 ml/min is the initial step in further development of this potential treatment for PKD.”

Dr. Perrone said the next steps in this research are to look at a larger intervention trial enriched for those at high risk of rapid progression of the disease. 

“This is a very exciting development for people with ADPKD and we look forward to results from larger clinical trials evaluating efficacy and safety,” said NKF Chief Scientific Officer Kerry Willis, PhD.

Investigators shared the most recent research during the late-breaking presentation at the Spring Clinical Meetings on this afternoon during the live, virtual event. The presentation session was chaired by NKF Chief Medical Officer Joseph Vassalotti, MD. 

NKF Spring Clinical Meetings 

For the past 29 years, nephrology healthcare professionals from across the country have come to NKF’s Spring Clinical Meetings to learn about the newest developments related to all aspects of nephrology practice; network with colleagues; and present their research findings. The NKF Spring Clinical Meetings are designed for meaningful change in the multidisciplinary healthcare teams’ skills, performance, and patient health outcomes. It is the only conference of its kind that focuses on translating science into practice for the entire healthcare team.  This year’s Spring Clinical Meetings will be held virtually April 6-10.  

NKF Professional Membership 

Healthcare professionals can join NKF to receive access to tools and resources for both patients and professionals, discounts on professional education, and access to a network of thousands of individuals who treat patients with kidney disease.      

Kidney Disease Facts

In the United States, 37 million adults are estimated to have chronic kidney disease (CKD)—and approximately 90 percent don’t know they have it.  1 in 3 adults in the U.S. is at risk for chronic kidney disease.  Risk factors for kidney disease include: diabeteshigh blood pressureheart diseaseobesity, and family history. People who are Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, American Indian or Alaska Native, Asian American, or Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander are at increased risk for developing the disease. Black or African American people are almost 4 times more likely than Whites to have kidney failure. Hispanic or Latino people are 1.3 times more likely than non-Hispanic or non-Latino people to have kidney failure.

About the National Kidney Foundation

The National Kidney Foundation (NKF) is the largest, most comprehensive, and longstanding patient-centric organization dedicated to the awareness, prevention, and treatment of kidney disease in the U.S. For more information about NKF, visit www.kidney.org