New drug therapy improves kidneys.

• Position: Type 2 Diabetes

A new anti-inflammatory drug used by individuals with type 2 diabetes improves kidney function, reports a study in the New England Journal of Medicine. This marks the first time a drug therapy has led to better kidney function for patients with type 2 diabetes and chronic kidney disease. Previous studies only have identified drugs that slowed the deterioration.

"In diabetes, kidney function tends to deteriorate over time," explains physician Robert Toto, who specializes in internal medicine. "No prior studies ... have shown what appears to be an increase in kidney function by any therapy, which makes this a very exciting development."

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Type 2 is the most common form of diabetes and the leading cause of kidney failure in the U.S. Diabetics account for nearly half of all new cases of end-stage renal disease, the point at which patients require dialysis or a kidney transplant.

The study involved adults with type 2 diabetes and chronic kidney disease They were divided into four groups--three receiving different dosages of bardoxdone methyl, an anti-inflammatory drug, and the fourth group getting a placebo and acting as a control. The patients were tracked for 56 weeks, with...