Paricalcitol found to reduce albuminuria in type 2 diabetes

In a multi-national, placebo-controlled, double-blind trial, the selective vitamin D receptor activator paricalcitol (Zemplar, Abbott Laboratories), at doses of 1 µg or 2 µg daily, can reduce albuminuria in patients with type 2 diabetes, who were already being treated with renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system inhibitors, according to research published online November 4 in The Lancet, as reported by HealthDay News.

The primary end point was the percentage change in geometric mean urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio (UACR) for the combined paricalcitol groups versus the placebo group.

The combined paricalcitol treatment group had a non-statistically significant between-group difference versus placebo of −15%; the 1 µg and 2 µg treatment groups had between-group differences versus placebo of −11% (P=.23) and −18% (P=.053), respectively. Early, sustained reductions in UACR were seen in the 2-µg paricalcitol group (P=.014 vs. placebo). All groups had decreases in UACR, including the placebo group.

Dick de Zeeuw, MD, of the University of Groningen (the Netherlands) and lead researcher, told Drug Topics that future studies with hard renal outcomes should be conducted to prove paricalcitol’s renal and cardiovascular protective effects.

Abbott Laboratories funded the study, and several authors disclosed financial ties to the company, as well as to other pharmaceutical and/or medical device companies.