HKUMed achieves fertility breakthrough with repurposed kidney drug

Finerenone, a drug for chronic kidney diseases tied to type 2 diabetes, revives egg development.

A clinical trial led by HKUMed found that finerenone, a drug used to treat type 2 diabetes-related chronic kidney disease, enabled follicle development into mature eggs and viable embryos in women with premature ovarian insufficiency (POI), according to a press release.

The trial, conducted at the University of Hong Kong–Shenzhen Hospital, involved 14 women of childbearing age diagnosed with POI who received pulsed oral finerenone therapy combined with personalised ovarian stimulation regimens for up to seven months.

Preliminary results showed that eight participants developed antral follicles that progressed to mature follicles, with about half obtaining mature eggs, three developing usable embryos and another three opting to freeze their oocytes, the research team reported.

The study found that finerenone reduces ovarian fibrosis and improves the ovarian microenvironment, enabling dormant small follicles to develop rather than relying solely on direct follicle stimulation.

POI affects about 1% to 3% of women of childbearing age worldwide and patients often lack antral follicles detectable by ultrasound, rendering conventional in vitro fertilisation (IVF) almost impossible, according to the research team.