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Chronic kidney disease due to diabetes mellitus type 2

2Disease-modifyingAI-generated

Treatments slow diabetic kidney disease but do not cure itAI-generated

Burden-over-time charts — how many people this disease affects and whether that number is rising or falling — are coming to this page. The treatability read, milestones, and live trial pipeline below are current.

Milestones

dot size = significance
199020002010202020251989 — Epoetin alfa approved (FDA)1993 — Fenofibrate approved (FDA)1993 — Riboflavin approved (FDA)1993 — Pantothenic acid approved (FDA)1995 — Losartan approved (FDA)1995 — Glimepiride approved (FDA)1995 — Acarbose approved (FDA)1995 — Metformin approved (FDA)1996 — Miglitol approved (FDA)1997 — Repaglinide approved (FDA)1997 — Irbesartan approved (FDA)1997 — Epoetin beta approved (FDA)1998 — Paricalcitol approved (FDA)1998 — Sevelamer hydrochloride approved (FDA)1999 — Oseltamivir approved (FDA)1999 — Rosiglitazone approved (FDA)1999 — Doxercalciferol approved (FDA)1999 — Pioglitazone approved (FDA)2000 — Iron sucrose approved (FDA)2000 — Colesevelam approved (FDA)2000 — Nateglinide approved (FDA)2000 — Insulin glargine approved (FDA)2001 — Darbepoetin alfa approved (FDA)2002 — Epoetin delta approved (FDA)2004 — Cinacalcet approved (FDA)2004 — Lanthanum carbonate approved (FDA)2004 — Omega-3-acid ethyl esters approved (FDA)2004 — Insulin detemir approved (FDA)2005 — Exenatide approved (FDA)2006 — Sitagliptin approved (FDA)2007 — Epoetin zeta approved (FDA)2007 — Vildagliptin approved (FDA)2007 — Methoxy polyethylene glycol-epoetin beta approved (FDA)2007 — Sevelamer approved (FDA)2008 — Fenofibric acid approved (FDA)2009 — Liraglutide approved (FDA)2009 — Ferumoxytol approved (FDA)2009 — Epoetin theta approved (FDA)2009 — Saxagliptin anhydrous approved (FDA)2010 — Ticagrelor approved (FDA)2010 — Ceftaroline fosamil approved (FDA)2011 — Canagliflozin anhydrous approved (FDA)2011 — Linagliptin approved (FDA)2012 — Dapagliflozin approved (FDA)2013 — Lixisenatide approved (FDA)2013 — Alogliptin approved (FDA)2014 — Dulaglutide approved (FDA)2014 — Empagliflozin approved (FDA)2014 — Albiglutide approved (FDA)2015 — Ferric pyrophosphate citrate approved (FDA)2016 — Etelcalcetide approved (FDA)2017 — Semaglutide approved (FDA)2017 — Ertugliflozin approved (FDA)2019 — Sotagliflozin approved (FDA)2021 — Finerenone approved (FDA)2021 — Roxadustat approved (FDA)2021 — Difelikefalin approved (FDA)2022 — Tirzepatide approved (FDA)2023 — Vadadustat approved (FDA)2023 — Daprodustat approved (FDA)2023 — Bexagliflozin approved (FDA)2024 — Insulin icodec approved (FDA)
1989: Drug approval — Epoetin alfa approved (FDA). 1993: Drug approval — Fenofibrate approved (FDA). 1993: Drug approval — Riboflavin approved (FDA). 1993: Drug approval — Pantothenic acid approved (FDA). 1995: Drug approval — Losartan approved (FDA). 1995: Drug approval — Glimepiride approved (FDA). 1995: Drug approval — Acarbose approved (FDA). 1995: Drug approval — Metformin approved (FDA). 1996: Drug approval — Miglitol approved (FDA). 1997: Drug approval — Repaglinide approved (FDA). 1997: Drug approval — Irbesartan approved (FDA). 1997: Drug approval — Epoetin beta approved (FDA). 1998: Drug approval — Paricalcitol approved (FDA). 1998: Drug approval — Sevelamer hydrochloride approved (FDA). 1999: Drug approval — Oseltamivir approved (FDA). 1999: Drug approval — Rosiglitazone approved (FDA). 1999: Drug approval — Doxercalciferol approved (FDA). 1999: Drug approval — Pioglitazone approved (FDA). 2000: Drug approval — Iron sucrose approved (FDA). 2000: Drug approval — Colesevelam approved (FDA). 2000: Drug approval — Nateglinide approved (FDA). 2000: Drug approval — Insulin glargine approved (FDA). 2001: Drug approval — Darbepoetin alfa approved (FDA). 2002: Drug approval — Epoetin delta approved (FDA). 2004: Drug approval — Cinacalcet approved (FDA). 2004: Drug approval — Lanthanum carbonate approved (FDA). 2004: Drug approval — Omega-3-acid ethyl esters approved (FDA). 2004: Drug approval — Insulin detemir approved (FDA). 2005: Drug approval — Exenatide approved (FDA). 2006: Drug approval — Sitagliptin approved (FDA). 2007: Drug approval — Epoetin zeta approved (FDA). 2007: Drug approval — Vildagliptin approved (FDA). 2007: Drug approval — Methoxy polyethylene glycol-epoetin beta approved (FDA). 2007: Drug approval — Sevelamer approved (FDA). 2008: Drug approval — Fenofibric acid approved (FDA). 2009: Drug approval — Liraglutide approved (FDA). 2009: Drug approval — Ferumoxytol approved (FDA). 2009: Drug approval — Epoetin theta approved (FDA). 2009: Drug approval — Saxagliptin anhydrous approved (FDA). 2010: Drug approval — Ticagrelor approved (FDA). 2010: Drug approval — Ceftaroline fosamil approved (FDA). 2011: Drug approval — Canagliflozin anhydrous approved (FDA). 2011: Drug approval — Linagliptin approved (FDA). 2012: Drug approval — Dapagliflozin approved (FDA). 2013: Drug approval — Lixisenatide approved (FDA). 2013: Drug approval — Alogliptin approved (FDA). 2014: Drug approval — Dulaglutide approved (FDA). 2014: Drug approval — Empagliflozin approved (FDA). 2014: Drug approval — Albiglutide approved (FDA). 2015: Drug approval — Ferric pyrophosphate citrate approved (FDA). 2016: Drug approval — Etelcalcetide approved (FDA). 2017: Drug approval — Semaglutide approved (FDA). 2017: Drug approval — Ertugliflozin approved (FDA). 2019: Drug approval — Sotagliflozin approved (FDA). 2021: Drug approval — Finerenone approved (FDA). 2021: Drug approval — Roxadustat approved (FDA). 2021: Drug approval — Difelikefalin approved (FDA). 2022: Drug approval — Tirzepatide approved (FDA). 2023: Drug approval — Vadadustat approved (FDA). 2023: Drug approval — Daprodustat approved (FDA). 2023: Drug approval — Bexagliflozin approved (FDA). 2024: Drug approval — Insulin icodec approved (FDA)

What's being tested now

2001: 3 trials started2002: 1 trials started2003: 3 trials started2004: 1 trials started2005: 1 trials started2006: 5 trials started2007: 3 trials started2008: 3 trials started2009: 1 trials started2010: 6 trials started2011: 3 trials started2012: 5 trials started2013: 11 trials started2014: 4 trials started2015: 9 trials started2016: 15 trials started2017: 18 trials started2018: 24 trials started2019: 45 trials started2020: 29 trials started2021: 78 trials started2022: 134 trials started2023: 200 trials started2024: 412 trials started2025: 589 trials started2026: 663 trials started201020202026663

Trials started per year, stacked by phase (darker = later phase). Source: ClinicalTrials.gov via Clin2, which tracks studies recruiting in recent years — early years undercount.

See all 2058 active Chronic kidney disease trials on Clin2 →

Where we are

AI-generated

Chronic kidney disease from type 2 diabetes cannot be reversed, but modern therapies can modify its course. Drugs like ACE inhibitors, ARBs, SGLT2 inhibitors, and finerenone help slow the decline in kidney function and reduce the risk of progression to kidney failure. The trajectory has improved over recent decades, with fewer people reaching end-stage kidney disease in many countries, though the burden remains substantial. A key early milestone was the 1958 approval of chlorothiazide, the first widely used diuretic, which laid the groundwork for blood pressure control that protects the kidneys.

Can diabetic kidney disease be cured?
No, it cannot be cured. Treatment focuses on slowing progression and managing complications. With current therapies, many people maintain kidney function for years, but the disease is chronic and irreversible.
How do SGLT2 inhibitors help the kidneys?
SGLT2 inhibitors reduce blood sugar and lower pressure inside the kidney's filtering units. They decrease protein in urine and slow decline in kidney function, even in people without diabetes.
What is the role of blood pressure control?
Controlling blood pressure is critical. ACE inhibitors or ARBs are first-line drugs because they protect the kidneys beyond just lowering pressure. Good control slows progression and reduces cardiovascular risk.
Is dialysis inevitable for everyone?
No. Many people with diabetic kidney disease never need dialysis or a transplant. Early treatment, lifestyle changes, and newer medications can delay or prevent kidney failure in many cases.
What recent advances have changed outlook?
Finerenone, a nonsteroidal mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist, added to standard care reduces kidney failure risk. Combined with SGLT2 inhibitors, it offers additional protection beyond older drugs.

Related

Chronic kidney disease due to diabetes mellitus type 1Chronic kidney disease due to hypertensionChronic kidney disease due to glomerulonephritisChronic kidney disease due to other and unspecified causes

Burden estimates: IHME Global Burden of Disease Study. Drug indications: ChEMBL (CC BY-SA). Trial data: ClinicalTrials.gov via Clin2. Velocity, acceleration, and turning points are computed by Clin2 — how this page is made. Treatability describes what medicine can do, not what is available everywhere. This page describes populations, not people, and is not medical advice.