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Study wrapper · #945

Rationale, design and baseline characteristics of the TRANSCEND-CKD trial of retatrutide in patients with chronic kidney disease.

Heerspink HJL, van Raalte DH, Bjornstad P, et al. Nephrology, dialysis, transplantation. 2026.

Editor's note

This paper reports the design and baseline characteristics of an ongoing mechanistic trial rather than any results. It establishes how retatrutide's effects on measured glomerular filtration rate and kidney structure will be evaluated, with outcomes still pending. Worth flagging as a trial to watch, with no efficacy data yet available.

Plain-language abstract

A design paper describing the rationale and baseline characteristics of the TRANSCEND-CKD Phase 2b trial, which is studying retatrutide's effects on kidney function in adults with overweight or obesity and chronic kidney disease.