Lorundrostat Lowers Blood Pressure in Kidney Disease

A Phase 2 trial found the aldosterone synthase inhibitor reduced blood pressure and urinary protein in patients with chronic kidney disease.

Updated on Nov. 3, 2026 in Diabetes

Vector editorial illustration of a smooth pale-blue capsule beside a coiled brass tubing loop on a cream surface, evoking a kidney-related drug study. — Mineralys Therapeutics reported that its drug lorundrostat significantly lowered blood pressure and urinary protein in chronic kidney disease patients in a Phase 2 trial. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

Mineralys Therapeutics reported that lorundrostat significantly reduced blood pressure and urinary protein in patients with chronic kidney disease. The Phase 2 Explore-CKD results were published in the medical journal Kidney International.

Why it matters

Chronic kidney disease affects roughly 37 million U.S. adults, and high blood pressure is a common driver of its progression. The results suggest a new treatment approach that targets both blood pressure and kidney protein leakage.

The Phase 2 trial enrolled 59 participants at 42 U.S. sites, with 76% having type 2 diabetes and baseline systolic pressure averaging 149 mmHg. Serum aldosterone fell 41.5% on the drug, while the four-week treatment periods leave longer-term kidney outcomes unreported.

The players

Mineralys Therapeutics

Mineralys Therapeutics is a pharmaceutical company headquartered in Radnor, Pennsylvania, developing lorundrostat as a treatment for hypertension and kidney disease.

Kidney International

Kidney International is a peer-reviewed medical journal published by the International Society of Nephrology that covers research on kidney disease.

The details

Lorundrostat works by inhibiting aldosterone synthase, an enzyme that produces aldosterone. In the randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover study, each treatment was evaluated over four weeks, with participants averaging 64.6 years of age.

The four-week treatment period was applied to each arm of the crossover trial.
The article reporting the Phase 2 Explore-CKD results was published on November 3, 2026.

Health Landscape

Aldosterone synthase inhibitors are an emerging class of blood pressure drugs that act upstream of the mineralocorticoid receptor. Lorundrostat's Explore-CKD results extend this mechanism into kidney disease patients, where high blood pressure and albuminuria drive progression.

For adults with chronic kidney disease and high blood pressure, this early trial points to a possible future option that lowers pressure and reduces urinary protein. Patients should not expect access until larger and longer studies are completed and regulators review the data.

The takeaway

Blood pressure control remains central to protecting kidney function in chronic kidney disease, and people with CKD should discuss current treatment options with their clinicians. Early trial results like these show where research is heading but do not yet change standard care.