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# Boehringer Ingelheim Reports Data on Kidney Drug
- URL: https://www.fdaweb.com/boehringer-ingelheim-reports-data-on-kidney-drug/
- Published: 2026-01-28T12:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-09-14T15:31:52.000Z
- Author: David McFarland
- Tags: Drugs, #legacy-id-D5160557

Boehringer Ingelheim says its investigational kidney drug apecotrep reduced proteinuria by 40% compared with placebo in a Phase 2 clinical trial involving patients with primary focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS), a rare and progressive kidney disease with no approved targeted treatments. The 12-week, placebo-controlled study showed the strongest effect in patients receiving a 20 mg daily dose of apecotrep, an oral, non-immunosuppressive inhibitor of the TRPC6 protein channel.

Proteinuria — the presence of excess protein in urine — is a key marker of kidney damage and disease progression in FSGS. In the trial, 35% of patients treated with apecotrep across all dose groups achieved at least a 25% reduction in urine protein-creatinine ratio after 12 weeks, compared with 7.1% of patients in the placebo arm, according to the company. The highest response rate, 44.4%, was observed in the 20 mg dose group. The drug was generally well-tolerated.

Primary FSGS is caused by injury and loss of podocytes, specialized cells that form part of the kidney’s filtration system, Boehringer says. Overactivation of the TRPC6 channel is thought to allow excessive calcium influx into podocytes, leading to progressive damage, scarring of the kidney’s filtering units and eventual kidney failure. About half of patients with primary FSGS progress to end-stage kidney disease within five to 10 years.

The company says apecotrep is designed to selectively inhibit TRPC6, with the aim of protecting podocytes and slowing disease progression without suppressing the immune system.

Boehringer has begun a Phase 3 trial enrolling adults and adolescents with primary FSGS. The company also plans to initiate an additional Phase 2 study in the first quarter to evaluate the therapy in other proteinuric kidney diseases.