(Reuters) – Ardelyx Inc said on Tuesday its experimental drug succeeded in regulating elevated blood phosphate levels in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) in a late-stage study.
The treatment, tenapanor, showed a greater difference in serum phosphorus levels compared to placebo, the company said.
Elevated phosphorus levels are common in CKD patients, especially those on dialysis, as their weak kidneys are unable to adequately eliminate phosphorus from the body.
Despite treatment with phosphate binders, about 70% of CKD patients on dialysis continue to experience elevated phosphorus levels, also called hyperphosphatemia, at any point in time, the company said.
Ardelyx in September said patients treated with tenapanor and phosphate binders, the only approved therapy for hyperphosphatemia, showed a significant reduction in serum phosphorus levels compared to phosphate binders alone, in another late-stage study.
If approved, tenapanor will be the only non-binder treatment for high serum phosphorus levels in patients with chronic kidney disease on dialysis, the company said.
Reporting by Manojna Maddipatla in Bengaluru; Editing by Shinjini Ganguli