Comparing the Efficacy and Safety of Finerenone and Spironolactone in the Treatment of Primary Aldosteronism

Summary

Primary aldosteronism (PA) is thought to be the most common secondary endocrine form of hypertension. Compared with patients with essential hypertension with similar blood pressure, patients with PA have significantly higher atrial fibrillation, myocardial infarction, heart failure, stroke, deterioration of renal function and all-cause mortality. Therefore, early and systematic implementation of effective surgical or medical treatment is essential to prevent or reverse the excess vascular events and mortality of these patients. The patients with bilateral PA were mainly treated with mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists (MRAs). The MRA spironolactone is effective at lowering BP and reversing the harmful metabolic consequences, but its use is limited by adverse effects such as gynaecomastia, mastodynia, menstrual abnormalities and impotence due to its agonist activity at the progesterone receptor and antagonist activity at the androgen receptor. Finerenone is claimed to be a more selective blocker of the mineralocorticoid receptor than spironolactone being associated with fewer antiandrogenic side-effects. In this study, we will compare the efficacy, safety and tolerability of finerenone versus spironolactone in patients with hypertension associated with primary aldosteronism.

Conditions

• Primary Aldosteronism
• Hypertension

Interventions

DRUG

Finerenone

The participants were randomized in an equal ratio to receive finerenone 10 mg once daily. Patients received the initial dose of study drug for the first 4 weeks of randomized treatment period. Thereafter, the dose of study medication was not changed for patients with adequate BP control. For patients not meeting BP \< 140/90 mmHg at week 4, the dose of study medication was increased to finerenone 20 mg once daily. If BP \> 160/110 mmHg at the time of 8 weeks follow-up, nifedipine 30mg once day was added.

DRUG

Spironolactone

The participants were randomized in an equal ratio to receive spironolactone 20 mg twice daily. Patients received the initial dose of study drug for the first 4 weeks of randomized treatment period. Thereafter, the dose of study medication was not changed for patients with adequate BP control. For patients not meeting BP \< 140/90 mmHg at week 4, the dose of study medication was increased to spironolactone 40 mg twice daily. If BP \> 160/110 mmHg at the time of 8 weeks follow-up, nifedipine 30mg once day was added.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• National Key Research and Development Program of China

  collaborator UNKNOWN

• National Natural Science Foundation of China

  collaborator OTHER_GOV

• The Affiliated Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Ping Li · The Affiliated Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

NONE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

18 Years

Max Age

75 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2023-05-31

Primary Completion

2025-03-31

Completion

2026-03-31