2. Disclosures
Site investigator for TRIDENT (Transformative Research In Diabetic
Nephropathy), an Investigator Initiated Study (Sponsor: University of
Pennsylvania)
Research support (access to preclinical data of RNA biomarkers of acute
kidney injury) from Pfizer
Site PI for the PRO2TECT Phase 3 of the investigational agent
vadadustat for anemia of CKD
Consultation from Bayer (investigational agents for DKD)
3. Learning Objectives
1. Epidemiology, clinical presentation and
pathogenesis of Diabetic Kidney Disease (DKD)
2. Standard of Care in DKD (2021)
3. Pharmacological Interventions to reduce
Cardiorenal Risk in Patients with DM2
7. Diabetic CKD + Cardiovascular Disease =
Hospitalization + Death
2016 ANNUAL DATA REPORT, VOL 1, CKD, CH 3
Data source: Medicare 5 percent sample. January 1, 2014 point prevalent patients aged 66 and
older. Adj: age/sex/race. Ref: all patients, 2014. Abbreviations: CKD, chronic kidney disease;
CVD, cardiovascular disease; DM, diabetes mellitus.
Death Hospitalization
8. Medicare expenditures by DM, CHF, CKD status
U.S. Medicare
Population
Total Spending
(millions, U.S. $)
PPPY (U.S. $), with
Parts A & B coverage
PPPY (U.S. $), with
Parts A, B, & D
coverage Population (%) Spending (%)
ALL 24,561,980 $295,655 $12,453 $14,090 100.0 100.0
No CKD 21,350,400 $225,146 $10,842 $12,302 86.9 76.2
All CKD (+/- DM & HF) 3,211,580 $70,509 $23,691 $25,769 13.1 23.8
All DM (+/- CKD & HF) 5,935,000 $103,744 $18,321 $20,103 24.2 35.1
All HF (+/- DM & CKD) 2,280,040 $62,445 $30,510 $32,737 9.3 21.1
No CKD or DM or HF 16,120,660 $141,419 $8,976 $10,217 65.6 47.8
With CKD or DM or
HF
8,441,320 $154,235 $19,312 $21,002 34.4 52.2
CKD only (- DM & HF) 1,210,720 $19,507 $16,916 $18,237 4.9 6.6
DM only (- HF & CKD) 3,853,240 $51,261 $13,690 $15,051 15.7 17.3
HF only (- DM & CKD) 905,540 $19,744 $23,696 $25,271 3.7 6.7
CKD and DM only (-
HF)
1,097,320 $21,023 $20,167 $22,130 4.5 7.1
CKD and HF only (-
DM)
390,060 $11,241 $33,274 $34,994 1.6 3.8
DM and HF only (-
CKD)
470,960 $12,722 $29,393 $31,676 1.9 4.3
CKD and DM and HF 513,480 $18,738 $42,318 $45,516 2.1 6.3
CKD and DM (+/-HF) 1,610,800 $39,761 $26,771 $29,288 6.6 13.4
CKD and HF (+/- DM) 903,540 $29,979 $38,404 $41,080 3.7 10.1
DM and HF (+/- CKD) 984,440 $31,460 $35,929 $38,688 4.0 10.6
Annual Data Report | USRDS
9. Progression of DKD
Kidney disease progression and all-cause mortality across estimated glomerular filtration rate and albuminuria categories among
patients with vs. without type 2 diabetes | BMC Nephrology | Full Text (biomedcentral.com)
10. DM is becoming a non-proteinuric state in the US
JAMA. 2016;316(6):602-610.
J. Clin. Med. 2015, 4, 1761-1773
RR of albuminuria (adjusted for eGFR): 0.73 vs 1988-1994
Diabetes Metab. 2012 Oct;38(4):291-7
Adv Chronic Kidney Dis. 2014 May;21(3):256-9
12. … and a substantial % of DKD is
now non-proteinuric
Diabetes Metab. 2012 Oct;38(4):291-7 JAMA. 2016;316(6):602-610
NHANES prevalence of non-proteinuric DKD : ~48%
13. Risk Factors for DKD
Clin J Am Soc Nephrol 12: 2032–2045, 2017 Am J Kidney Dis. 71(6):884-895,2018
16. International Pathologic
Classification System of DKD
GLOMERULAR LESIONS
VASCULAR AND
TUBULOINTERSTITIAL LESIONS
Clin J Am Soc Nephrol 12: 2032–2045, 2017 Am J Kidney Dis. 71(6):884-895,2018
19. Hyperfiltration in experimental
diabetes is reduced by SGLT2i
SGLT2 and hyperfiltration in experimental diabetes
Diabetes vs control Diabetes vs control under phlorizin
Glomerular Hyperfiltration in Experimental Diabetes Mellitus | American
Society of Nephrology (asnjournals.org)
21. Acute and chronic effects of SGLT2
blockade in experimental DKD
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3349378/
Chronic and acute fx of SGLT2i on
proximal reabsorption are similar
Hyperglycemia major driver of
hyperfiltration & urine flow
Chronic effects of
SGLT2i on TGF are
expected to be
reduced but not
abolished
22. GLOMERULAR HYPERFILTRATION IN DM
AS A PRIMARY TUBULAR EVENT
Annu. Rev. Physiol. 2012. 74:351–75
Salt Paradox: the
inverse relationship
between
dietary NaCl and
GFR in DM ->
Due to changes in
the Na in macula
densa
23. From Hyperfiltration to Molecular
Pathways in DKD
Clin J Am Soc Nephrol 12: 2032–2045, 2017 Am J Kidney Dis. 71(6):884-895,2018
.
Am J Physiol. 1985 Sep;249(3 Pt 2):F324-37
25. Components of renal consultation in
patients with DM
AIMS
Securing the diagnosis
Cardiovascular (CV) risk
reduction
Renal risk reduction
OBJECTIVES
Glycemic goals (with
renal+CV disease in mind)
Blood pressure control (with
renal+CV disease in mind)
Initiate and sustain evidence-
based pharmacological
therapy
26. Diagnosis of DKD
Impaired eGFR (<60 ml/min/1.73m2)
Albuminuria (UACR> 30 mg/g creatinine)
Spot sample to calculate the ratio of Albumin to Creatinine (morning
sample preferred)
Annual screening for DKD
5 years after the diagnosis of Type 1 diabetes
Upon diagnosis of Type 2 diabetes
Am J Kidney Dis. 71(6):884-895,2018
27. When to consider non-DKD and/or pursue a kidney biopsy
Atypical Presentation of renal disease in DM
Absence of retinopathy (T1D)
Albuminuria developing <5 or >25 the onset of
disease (T1D)
Immunological markers or active urinary
sediment
Acute/sudden onset macroalbuminuria or the
nephrotic syndrome
Nephritic syndrome
Hematuria
Rapid decline in renal function
Significant reduction in eGFR (>30%) after
initiation RAASi
Acute Kidney Injury
J Clin Med. 2015 May; 4(5): 998–1009 NDT. 32(1): 97–110, 2017
28. Statins for CV risk reduction (in CKD)?
Lancet Diabetes Endocrinol. 2016 Oct;4(10):829-39
Subject level meta-analysis 28 studies, ~183k pts
29. Glycemic Targets in Diabetes
Note: Vascular complications includes DKD
6. Glycemic Targets: Standards of Medical Care in
Diabetes—2021 | Diabetes Care (diabetesjournals.org)
30. Individualize Glycemic Goals!
EVERYONE
Providers might reasonably suggest
A1C < 7% if this can be achieved without
significant hypoglycemia
If using CGM, a parallel goal is time in
range of >70% and time below range <4%
A1c< 8% for patients with severe
hypoglycemia, limited life expectancy,
advanced microvascular complications, or
long standind diabetes
OLDER ADULTS (>65)
< 7.0 - 7.5% with few coexisting chronic
illnesses and intact cognitive function and
functional status
8-8.5% multiple coexisting chronic illnesses,
cognitive impairment, or functional
dependence
Goals should be reassessed and
individualized
CGM may be used to avoid hypoglycemia
6. Glycemic Targets: Standards of Medical Care in Diabetes—2021 (diabetesjournals.org)
32. Key Glycemic Control Trials
Am J Kidney Dis. 71(6):884-895,2018
JACC 53(3): 298–304,2009
Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2017 Jun 8;6:CD010137. doi:
10.1002/14651858.CD010137.pub2.
33. Intensive glycemic control in pts with CKD in the
ACCORD trial
ALL CAUSE MORTALITY HYPOGLYCEMIC EPISODES
Kidney International (2015) 87, 649–659;
34. Role of the kidney in glucose homeostasis &
hypoglycemia during intensive glycemic targeting
1. Gluconeogenesis (cortex) mainly for utilization in the medulla
◦ Fasting post-absorptive state:
◦ 20-25% of the glucose released into the circulation is derived from the kidneys (12-55g)
◦ Kidneys use about 10% of the entire glucose pool (25-35g)
◦ Post-prandial state (4-5 hours after a meal):
◦ Kidneys responsible for 60% of endogenous glucose release (70g)
◦ Renal release of glucose x30% in pts with T2D
2. Reabsorption of filtered glucose by the proximal tubule
◦ GFR of 125 ml/min x 90-100 mg/dL = 160-180g filtered
◦ Nearly all of it is reabsorbed
◦ Primary renal contribution to glucose homeostasis
3. Insulin is cleared by the kidneys
DOI: 10.1152/ajpendo.00116.2001
DOI: 10.1113/JP271904
DOI: 10.1016/j.diabres.2017.07.033
DOI: 10.1152/physrev.00055.2009
DOI:10.1016/j.tips.2010.11.011
DOI: 10.1016/j.metabol.2014.06.018
36. Intensifying
Injectable
Therapies 2021
version
American Diabetes Association Diabetes Care 2019;42:S90-S102
9. Pharmacologic Approaches to
Glycemic Treatment: Standards
of Medical Care in Diabetes—
2021 | Diabetes Care
(diabetesjournals.org)
Reference - material
37. FDA Label Change for Metformin in
Diabetes and CKD : April 2016
1. Measure eGFR
Before starting metformin
At least annually
2. eGFR < 30 ml/min/1.73m2
Metformin is contraindicated
3. eGFR between 30-45 ml/min/1.73m2
It is not recommended to initiate metformin
If eGFR falls in this range, re-assess risk-benefit
4. Discontinue metformin with iodinated contrast
eGFR between 30 and 60 mL/minute/1.73 m2
liver disease
alcoholism
heart failure
intra-arterial iodinated contrast.
5. Re-evaluate eGFR 48 hours after contrast
restart metformin if renal function is stable.
https://www.fda.gov/Drugs/DrugSafety/ucm493244.htm Diabetes Care 2018;41:547–553
Prospective PK studies in advanced CKD
Therapeutic Metformin level: 1-4 / peak not to exceed 5, average 2.5
Off-label
39. Single, not dual RAASi (ACEi+ARB)
should be used in DKD
Am J Kidney Dis. 71(6):884-895,2018
40. The combination of RAASi + Aldosterone antagonists
improves proteinuria and blood pressure control
PROTEINURIA SYSTOLIC BLOOD PRESSURE
Diastolic BP: -1.73 [ -2.83, -0.62 ]
Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2014, Issue 4. Art. No.: CD007004.
DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD007004.pub3.
eGFR -2.55 [ -5.61, 0.51 ] (favors SPL, NS)
41. The combination of RAASi + Aldosterone antagonists
causes hyperkalemia and gynecomastia
HYPERKALEMIA GYNECOMASTIA
Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2014, Issue 4. Art. No.: CD007004.
DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD007004.pub3.
Hyperkalemia Gynecomastia
7.2 14.1
Numbers Needed To Harm
42. RAASi to prevent microalbuminuria
in diabetes?
TYPE 1 DIABETES TYPE 2 DIABETES
DOI: 10.1177/1470320316652047
Multiple negative studies
1. RASS
2. DIRECT
3. DIRECT-PROTECT-1
No effect in mortality
N Engl J Med 2009;361:40-51. Am J Kidney Dis. 71(6):884-895,2018
44. Take home points for this section
1. SGLT2i have broad cardiovascular, renal and heart failure benefits
2. Cardiorenal benefits are likely to be class, rather than agent specific
3. Effects on CKD don’t differ between diabetic and non-diabetic forms of CKD
4. Successful roll out of SGLT2i is likely to have the same population level effects that
ACE/ARBs had
5. Don’t ask who will prescribe the SGLT2i for your patient, but when YOU will prescribe
SGLT2i and how you will do it like royalty
49. SGLT2i reduce major cardiovascular events
by 10% and heart failure events by 30%
50. SGLT2i reduced rates of ESKD by 37%
and the composite kidney outcome of
worsening kidney function/ ESKD by 39%
51. The importance of harmonizing
(kidney) outcomes in RCTs
PRIMARY ANALYSIS OF VERTIS-CV
HARMONIZED DEFINITION IN
VERTIS-CV
Cardiovascular Outcomes with Ertugliflozin in Type 2
Diabetes | NEJM
Effects of ertugliflozin on kidney composite
outcomes, renal function and albuminuria in patients
with type 2 diabetes mellitus: an analysis from the
randomised VERTIS CV trial | SpringerLink
52. Biphasic eGFR changes upon initiation of SGLT2i
Canagliflozin (CREDENCE) Dapagliflozin (DAPA-CKD) Empagliflozin (EMPA-REG)
53. Renal Benefits of SGLT2i are observed across
demographics and levels of eGFR
https://doi.org/10.2215/CJN.10140620
http://www.nejm.org/doi/10.1056/NEJMoa2024816
54. Renal benefits
of SGLT2i are
observed
irrespective of
the presence of
diabetes type 2
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41581-020-00391-2
56. Effects of SGLT2i
on biomarkers and
clinical variables
(meta-analysis)
DOI: 10.1111/dom.13648
57. Attempts to link the cardiac benefits of SGLT2i to
the heart have largely been unsuccessful
https://doi.org/10.1093/cvr/cvaa323
https://doi.org/10.2337/db20-0921
59. From ARBs to SGLT2i
• SGLT2i: 5.5 – 11 x more expensive than
ARBs after accounting for inflation
AWP(2020): dapagliflozin 5,10mg: $20.69
AWP (2020) of canagliflozin 100-, 300mg: $20.74
AWP (2020) of empagliflozin 10-, 25mg: $20.90
AWP (2020) of ertugliflozin 5- 15mg: $11.81
Dialysis costs per patient stable for ~10yrs
(w/o accounting for inflation)
• Event Rates for the ESKD in CREDENCE:
20.4 events/1000pt years (canagliflozin)
29.4 events/1000pt years (SoC)
ESKD due to DM: 1.73/1000pt years
33% decline between early 2000s and mid
2010s
Prevalence of diabetes type 2 increased
by ~26% during the same period
PAYING FOR NEW THERAPIES
Change in
Epidemiology
Change in costs
Weekly / November 3, 2017 / 66(43);1165–1170
https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/pdfs/data/statistics/national-diabetes-statistics-report.pdf
60. Universal adoption of SGLT2i will stabilize
incidence of ESKD over the next 10 years
DAPA-CKD suggests benefits for non-diabetic forms of
CKD
No subgroup benefits more than others
Factoring life expectancy benefits, HR for ESKD is ~0.80
Modelled incidence of ESRD in 2030: 440 ppm
440 x 0.8 = 352 ppm (2004 incidence rate)
Factoring population growth, the actual incidence
counts after SGLT2i ~127,000 (125,000 in 2017)
PAYING FOR NEW THERAPIES
JASN January 2019, 30 (1) 127-135;
61. GLP-1R & DPP-
4 are widely
distributed in the
kidney
doi:10.1038/nrneph.2017.123
GLP-1R & DPP-4 may be relevant
to the pathogenesis of DKD
62. 62
GLP1RA in diabetic Kidney Disease
Dulaglutide and renal outcomes in type 2 diabetes: an exploratory analysis of the
REWIND randomised, placebo-controlled trial - The Lancet
Liraglutide and Renal Outcomes in Type 2 Diabetes | NEJM
Dulaglutide Liraglutide
Semaglutide:
Composite Kidney HR 0.64 (95% CI 0.46 – 0.88)
mostly driven by progression to
macroalbuminuria: HR 0.54 95% CI (0.37 – 0.77)
Semaglutide and Cardiovascular Outcomes in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes | NEJM
64. DKD Nephrology Encounters in 2021
1. Establish the absence of a non-diabetic lesion!
2. Initiate, optimize and sustain evidence- based pharmacological
therapy
ACEi/ARB/SGLT2i / ? Aldo antagonists
3. Treat the complications that endocrinologists/PCPs don’t treat
Hyperkalemia (diuretics/patiromer/ZS-9)
Volume overload
CKD complications
Hypertension management
4. Consult referring physicians about renal safety/efficacy/dosing of
anti-glycemic therapies
Metformin/SGLT2i/GLP-1RA/DPP-4i
65. Which anti-glycemic agents to
recommend to referring providers?
1. Patient’s cardiorenal risk
2. Cardiovascular and renal end-points
◦ Medical literature
◦ Regulatory submission documents
3. Safety profile
4.Level of renal function
5.What the insurance will pay
6.The copay the patient can afford
66. Patient is a candidate for one of the sodium glucose cotransporter two
inhibitors (i.e. Jardiance 10mg a day, Invokana 100mg a day, Steglatro 5
mg a day or Farxiga 10 mg a day) given chronic kidney disease, long
standing Type 2 Diabetes/hypertension and pre-existing cardiovascular
disease and/or heart failure).
Benefits of SGLT2i include:
a) reduction in total and cardiovascular mortality by 15-20%,
b) decrease in the risk for dialysis 40%
c) hospitalization for heart failure by 30%
d) reduction in the rate of Acute Kidney Injury by 25% with no
symptomatic hypoglycemia.
e) decrease in systolic BP by about 2-4 mmHg
f) decrease in body weight by about 2-3 kgr
Currently, Jardiance/Farxiga/Invokana have cardiovascular and heart
failure FDA indications , while Invokana has an FDA indication for
diabetic kidney disease. However, the aforementioned effects are class
effects so any SGLT2i insurance would cover would be an appropriate
choice for the patient.
After starting SGLT2i,
a) eGFR will decline between 5-8 ml/min because of the mechanism of
action of these drugs; this acute decline is not progressive and is fully
reversible upon stopping the drugs. Recommend a kidney function
check in 4 weeks to establish the patient's new baseline, and/or monitor
more severe decline (anything over 10-15 ml/min should prompt one to
look for potential reversible causes of acute renal deterioration and
revisit the entire cardiorenal regimen, including the SGLT2i)
b) patients receiving insulin may experience an improvement in
glycemic control and/or need for less insulin (up to 30%).
Most common side effect is yeast infection. In addition to optimizing
diabetes care and weight reduction in overweight/obese patients.
Personal hygiene education is recommended in all patients at the
initiation of an SGLT2i. Yeast infections may be minimized by cleaning
the genital area before and after going to the bathroom and before
bedtime with water. Women should be advised to wear cotton
underwear to reduce their potential risk for vaginal candidiasis. Other
risks like diabetic ketoacidosis are rare (about 1/500 patients) and the
risk may be reduced by temporarily holding the SGLT2i during acute
illness in which access to fluids is impaired and then restarting it once
the episode has resolved. SGLT2i should be held prior to scheduled
surgery to minimize risk for euglycemic DKA (4 days for ertugliflozin,
others 3 days). The patient has no active peripheral arterial disease
(with ischemia at rest or ulcers), so very unlikely to develop symptoms of
PAD needing amputation (risk was seen in only one trial of SGLT2i).
https://docs.google.com/docu
ment/d/1l1FyXHPCvBJdcCnyJg-
NGtElwlAfQ6fgL0jQdosflSs/edit
?usp=sharing .
68. TRIDENT
Transformative
Research in
Diabetic
Nephropathy
Vision
• Identify human-derived testable hypotheses for
future intervention trials, with the goal of providing
transformative therapies for the patients suffering
from diabetic nephropathy
Strategy
• Identify pathways associated with rapid (>5cc/year)
and slow (<5cc/year) progression of renal functional
decline in diabetic patients, through integration of their
epigenetic, genetic, genomic, histologic, clinical, and
biomarker profile
Structure
• Precompetitive Pharma-Academia Partnership
• UPenn + 16 active recruiting sites
• 4 pharma partners: Boehringer Ingelheim, Gilead,
GSK, Regeneron
Changes in glomerularhistology indiabetic glomerulopathy (A)Normal glomerulus. (B)Diffusemesangial
expansionwith mesangial cell proliferation. (C) Prominent mesangial expansion with early nodularity and mesangiolysis. (D) Accumulation of
mesangial matrix forming Kimmelstiel–Wilson nodules. (E)Dilation of capillaries forming microaneurysms,with subintimal hyaline (plasmatic
insudation).
Tubulointerstitial changes in diabetic kidney disease.
(A) Normal renal cortex. (B) Thickened tubular basement membranes and interstitial widening. (C) Arteriole with an intimal accumulation of
hyaline materialwith significant luminal compromise. (D) Renal tubules and interstitium in advancing diabetic kidney disease,with thickening
andwrinkled tubularbasementmembranes (solidarrows), atrophic tubules (dashedarrow), some containing casts, andinterstitial widening with
fibrosis and inflammatory cells (dotted arrow).
. Proposed role of tubular reabsorption in glomerular hyperfiltration in diabetes mellitus. As illustrated in (1), the tubuloglomerular feedback (TGF) refers to the inverse dependency of SNGFR on the luminal Na1, Cl2, and K1 concentration at the macula densa (MD). The glomerulotubular balance (GTB) refers to the flow dependence of tubular reabsorption upstream to the macula densa. SNGFR0 is the input to SNGFR independent of TGF. A primary increase in fractional tubular reabsorption (GTB) in diabetes mellitus elicits a reduction in the TGF signal at the macula densa (2), which increases SNGFR (3). The increase in fractional tubular reabsorption may in addition reduce the hydrostatic pressure in Bowman space (PBow) (2). By increasing the effective filtration pressure, the latter changes may also increase SNGFR, although probably to a minor degree (3). The resulting increase in SNGFR serves to partly restore the fluid and electrolyte load to the distal nephron (3). The concomitant prolonged glomerular hyperperfusion, however, could contribute to the development of diabetic glomerulosclerosis.
Individuals with type 1 or type 2 diabetes scheduled for native clinical kidney biopsy, provide written consent to allow for an extra core of kidney tissue for research purposes (See Figure 1 for full study design).
Inclusion criteria include pathologic confirmation of diabetic glomerulosclerosis, however, individuals with superimposed non-DKD are also maintained in the cohort.
Participants will eventually include 300 adults with diabetes undergoing clinical biopsy.
Rapid loss of function (10, 30.3%), Unusual degree of proteinuria (20, 60.6%),
Biopsy practices was assessed by comparing clinical characteristics of participants at the time of biopsy.
Adverse biopsy outcomes were collected; serious adverse events included need for blood transfusion, intervention to halt bleeding and moderate/severe respiratory distress (defined as the need for assisted ventilation).