Vertex Pharmaceuticals’ Kidney Disease Drug Does Well in Mid-Stage Study

Vertex Pharmaceuticals’ investigational kidney disease treatment, VX-147, showed promise in a phase 2 study by lowering damaging urine protein levels by nearly 50 percent.

The mid-stage trial included just 13 participants suffering from focal segmental glomerulosclerosis, a condition caused by inherited variants of the APOL1 gene that makes them at high risk of kidney failure.

Based on the promising results, the company plans to launch a pivotal trial in early 2022.