Fexofenadine shows promise as adjuvant therapy for diabetic kidney disease

Fexofenadine, when used in combination with ramipril, may be a promising adjuvant therapy for patients with diabetic kidney disease (DKD), according to a study.

In this study, 61 patients were randomly assigned to 2 groups: the fexofenadine group (n = 30) receiving a combination of ramipril and fexofenadine, and the control group (n = 31) administered with ramipril alone over a 6-month period. Primary outcomes focused on changes in urinary albumin to creatinine ratio (UACR) and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), while secondary outcomes included measurements of urinary cyclophilin A, monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1), 8-hydroxy-2′ deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG), and podocalyxin (PCX).

Fexofenadine demonstrated a significant 16% reduction in UACR compared to a 11% increase in the control group (P < 0.001). Although here was no substantial disparity in eGFR between the groups, the control group exhibited a decrease of – 3.5% compared to baseline values, an effect not observed in the fexofenadine group. In addition, the use of fexofenadine was associated with a significant decline in MCP-1, 8-OHdG, and PCX levels compared to baseline values.

Reference
El-Fatatry BM, El-Haggar SM, Ibrahim OM, Shalaby KH. Repurposing fexofenadine as a promising candidate for diabetic kidney disease: randomized clinical trial. Int Urol Nephrol. 2023;doi: 10.1007/s11255-023-03804-w. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 37741921.