Atrasentan is an experimental drug that is being studied for the treatment of various types of cancer,[1] including non-small cell lung cancer.[2] It is also being investigated as a therapy for diabetic kidney disease.[3]
Atrasentan failed a phase 3 trial for prostate cancer in patients unresponsive to hormone therapy.[4] A second trial confirmed this finding.[5]
In April 2014, de Zeeuw et al. showed that 0.75 mg and 1.25 mg of atrasentan reduced urinary albumin by 35 and 38% respectively with modest side effects. Patients also had decreased home blood pressures (but no change in office readings) decrease total cholesterol and LDL. Patients in the 1.25 mg dose group had increased weight gain which was presumably due to increased edema and had to withdraw from the study more than the placebo or 0.75 mg dose group.[6] Reductions in proteinuria have been associated with beneficial patient outcomes in diabetic kidney disease with other interventions but is not an accepted end-point by the FDA.[citation needed]
In 2013, SONAR trial[7] was initiated to determine if atrasentan reduces kidney failure in diabetic kidney disease.[8]
In 2024, the phase 3 ALIGN trial found atrasentan to be effective in reducing proteinuria in patients with IgA nephropathy.[9]
References
^"Atrasentan". NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms. National Institute of Cancer. 2011-02-02.
^Chiappori AA, Haura E, Rodriguez FA, Boulware D, Kapoor R, Neuger AM, et al. (March 2008). "Phase I/II study of atrasentan, an endothelin A receptor antagonist, in combination with paclitaxel and carboplatin as first-line therapy in advanced non-small cell lung cancer". Clinical Cancer Research. 14 (5): 1464–9. doi:10.1158/1078-0432.CCR-07-1508. PMID18316570.
^Heerspink HJ, Jardine M, Kohan DE, Lafayette RA, Levin A, Liew A, et al. (October 2024). "Atrasentan in Patients with IgA Nephropathy". The New England Journal of Medicine. doi:10.1056/NEJMoa2409415. PMID39460694.