Royal North Shore Hospital research makes history Leading RNSH clinician researcher Associate Professor Brendon Neuen has had three major studies published in the world’s three most prestigious medical journals on the same day –
caused by glomerular diseases, a group of conditions that generally affect young patients with fewer treatment options. A third analysis involving 14,500 patients with both diabetic and non-diabetic kidney disease – found that the medication reduced the risk of kidney failure requiring dialysis or kidney transplantation by 23 per cent, reduced the risk of heart failure by cardiovascular death by 18 per cent, and death from any cause by 12 per cent. Brendon said the findings support the use of finerenone as a foundational treatment for chronic kidney disease. “Although diabetes is the single most common cause of chronic kidney disease worldwide, most people living with kidney disease do not have diabetes and currently have few effective treatment options,” he said. “Addressing this unmet need is critical, as improving outcomes has the potential to substantially reduce the global burden of kidney disease. “With the disease affecting around 850 million people globally, these findings support the expanded use of this medication to meaningfully reduce kidney failure and heart complications for millions of people worldwide.”
in a rare achievement in clinical research. Associate Professor Neuen led the research showing that a new medication protects the kidneys, reduces heart risks, and improves survival for more patients than first thought. The findings were presented at the European Renal Association Congress in Glasgow in front of 4,000 people, and published in The Lancet, The New England Journal of Medicine and JAMA. Finerenone is currently available in Australia to treat chronic kidney disease for people with type 2 diabetes, where it works by reducing inflammation and scarring in the kidneys. But a new wave of research shows that its benefits reach much further. The first study, a six-year clinical trial involving 1600 patients across 24 countries with non-diabetic kidney disease showed that finerenone significantly slowed kidney function decline, reduced the risk of kidney failure, heart failure, and cardiovascular death by 23 per cent. A second study found the medication also helped a group of patients with kidney disease
Associate Professor Brendon Neuen presenting at the European Renal Association Congress in Glasgow
NSLHD NEWS | ISSUE 11| 19 JUNE 2026
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