All About Kerendia

If you have a certain kind of kidney problem related to type 2 diabetes, your doctor may prescribe Kerendia for you. It’s a prescription drug used to help reduce specific risks from chronic kidney disease in adults with type 2 diabetes.

These risks include:

  • non-fatal heart attack
  • hospitalization for heart failure
  • worsening kidney function, measured by estimated glomerular filtration rate (GFR)
  • kidney failure
  • death caused by cardiovascular (heart and blood vessel) disease

To learn more, see the “What is Kerendia used for?” section below.

Kerendia basics

Kerendia comes as a tablet that you swallow. The active ingredient in Kerendia is finerenone. (An active ingredient is what makes a drug work.) Kerendia is a brand-name drug that’s not available in a generic form.

Keep reading to learn about Kerendia’s dosage, side effects, and more.

Find answers to some commonly asked questions about Kerendia.

Once you do get to see the doctor, don’t be surprised if you’re rushed out of the exam room before you get all of your questions answered, according to healthcare staffing agency Staff Care. Studies show that 41% of ophthalmologists spend just 9 to 12 minutes with a patient, and 13- to 16-minute appointments are the norm for 40% of cardiologists, 37% of pediatricians, 35% of urologists, 35% of family physicians, 34% of obstetricians and gynecologists and 30% of otolaryngologists.

Will the 10-mg strength of Kerendia cause fewer side effects than the 20-mg strength?

It’s possible. Kerendia is available in two strengths: 10 milligrams (mg) and 20 mg. Lower doses may lower the risk of having a high level of potassium in the blood while taking Kerendia. But in general, Kerendia’s side effects are likely to be the same regardless of the strength you take.

While you’re taking Kerendia, your doctor will check your potassium level with a blood test. They’ll likely do this every 4 weeks.

If you have a high potassium level during treatment, your doctor may temporarily stop your Kerendia treatment until your level returns to a normal range.

Once your potassium level is within a normal range, your doctor may restart your Kerendia treatment at a lower dosage. Doing so could help lower the risk of having a high potassium level again.

To learn more about the possible side effects of Kerendia, see the “What are Kerendia’s side effects?” section below. To learn about the drug’s dosage, see the “What is Kerendia’s dosage?” section below, or check out this article.

Do other similar drugs, such as Farxiga, have the same use as Kerendia?

Kerendia is used to help reduce certain risks from chronic kidney disease in people with type 2 diabetes.

Another group of drugs with a similar use to Kerendia is called sodium-glucose transport protein 2 inhibitors. This group includes medications such as dapagliflozin (Farxiga) and empagliflozin (Jardiance). These drugs can lower certain risks related to type 2 diabetes. These include risks related to kidney disease and cardiovascular (heart and blood vessel) disease.

One of the risks Kerendia helps reduce is the risk of hospitalization for heart failure. A group of drugs called steroidal mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists (MRAs) can also be used to lower this risk. Examples of steroidal MRAs include spironolactone (Aldactone, Carospir) and eplerenone (Inspra).

To learn more about how Kerendia compares with similar drugs, talk with your doctor. They can help find the right treatment for your condition.

What is the cost of Kerendia with Medicare?

The cost of Kerendia with Medicare depends on your specific Medicare plan. Factors that may influence your cost include your deductible and copay. (Your deductible is the amount you’ll pay each year before Medicare fully covers the cost of your medications. Your copay is the set amount you’ll pay for prescriptions.)

To find out the cost of Kerendia with your specific Medicare plan, talk with your Medicare provider. For other details about the cost of Kerendia, see this article.

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Is Kerendia a diuretic?

No, Kerendia is not a diuretic. Diuretics are medications that help your body get rid of excess sodium (salt) and water. They’re often used to treat conditions such as high blood pressure and heart failure.

Even though Kerendia isn’t a diuretic, it has some effects that are similar to certain diuretics. For example, Kerendia can lower sodium and water levels in the body.

To learn more about how Kerendia works, see the “What is Kerendia used for?” section below.

Can Kerendia be used for type 1 diabetes?

Kerendia is used to help reduce certain risks from chronic kidney disease (CKD) in people with type 2 diabetes. The drug is not used in people with type 1 diabetes.

Medications other than Kerendia can be used for kidney problems related to type 1 diabetes. Examples include:

  • angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, such as lisinopril (Zestril)
  • angiotensin II receptor blockers, such as losartan (Cozaar)

To learn more about treatment options for kidney problems with type 1 diabetes, talk with your doctor. They can recommend the right treatment for your condition.

Your doctor will recommend the dosage of Kerendia that’s right for you. Below are commonly used dosages, but always take the dosage your doctor prescribes.

Form and strengths

Kerendia comes as a tablet that you swallow. It’s available in two strengths: 10 milligrams (mg) and 20 mg.

Recommended dosage

You’ll likely take Kerendia once daily, but your exact dosage will depend on a few factors. These include your kidney function and the level of potassium in your blood. For details, see this article about Kerendia’s dosage.

Questions about Kerendia’s dosing

Below are some common questions about Kerendia’s dosing.

What if I miss a dose of Kerendia? What you’ll do about a missed dose of Kerendia depends on when you realize that you’ve missed a dose.

If you remember on the same day as your missed dose, you can take the dose as soon as you remember. But if you remember on a different day than your missed dose (such as the next day), you should skip the missed dose. Then take your next dose at its usual time.

Do not take any extra doses of Kerendia to make up for a missed dose. Doing so can raise your risk of side effects.

Will I need to use Kerendia long term? It’s possible. If Kerendia works well for your condition without causing bothersome side effects, you’ll likely take it long term.

How long does Kerendia take to work? Kerendia starts working right away to treat your condition. But because of how the drug works, you may not notice the drug working in your body. Your doctor can tell you more about what to expect while taking Kerendia.

Like most drugs, Kerendia may cause mild or serious side effects. The lists below describe some of the more common side effects that Kerendia may cause. These lists don’t include all possible side effects.

Keep in mind that side effects of a drug can depend on:

  • your age
  • other health conditions you have
  • other medications you take

Your doctor or pharmacist can tell you more about the potential side effects of Kerendia. They can also suggest ways to help reduce side effects.

Mild side effects

Here’s a list of some of the mild side effects that Kerendia can cause. To learn about other mild side effects, talk with your doctor or pharmacist, or read Kerendia’s prescribing information.

Mild side effects of Kerendia that have been reported include:

  • low level of sodium in the blood
  • low blood pressure
  • mild allergic reaction*

Mild side effects of many drugs may go away within a few days to a couple of weeks. But if they become bothersome, talk with your doctor or pharmacist.

* To learn more about this side effect, see the “Allergic reaction” section below.

Serious side effects

Serious side effects from Kerendia can occur, but they aren’t common. If you have serious side effects from Kerendia, call your doctor right away. But if you think you’re having a medical emergency, you should call 911 or your local emergency number.

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Serious side effects of Kerendia that have been reported include:

  • high level of potassium in the blood
  • severe allergic reaction*

* To learn more about this side effect, see the “Allergic reaction” section below.

  • skin rash
  • itchiness
  • flushing (temporary warmth, redness, or deepening of skin color)

Prices of prescription drugs can vary depending on many factors. These factors include what your insurance plan covers and which pharmacy you use.

If you have questions about how to pay for your prescription, talk with your doctor or pharmacist. For example, they can provide more information about the cost of the drug without insurance. A patient support program for Kerendia may also be available.

You can also check out this article to learn more about saving money on prescriptions.

Kerendia is used to help reduce specific risks from chronic kidney disease (CKD) in adults with type 2 diabetes. These risks include:

  • non-fatal heart attack
  • hospitalization for heart failure
  • worsening kidney function, measured by estimated glomerular filtration rate (GFR)
  • kidney failure
  • death caused by cardiovascular (heart and blood vessel) disease

How does Kerendia work?

With type 2 diabetes, high blood sugar levels over a long period of time can cause damage to your blood vessels, heart, and kidneys. Type 2 diabetes can also cause certain proteins in these organs to become overactive, which can lead to further damage.

Kerendia works by blocking these overactive proteins in your body. This helps slow kidney damage that may happen with type 2 diabetes and CKD.

If you have more questions about how Kerendia works, talk with your doctor or pharmacist.

About CKD

With CKD, your kidneys gradually stop working as they should. This leads to a buildup of waste in your blood that can lead to other health problems. Examples of these problems include high blood pressure and heart disease. Over time, CKD can lead to worsening kidney function that may lead to kidney failure.

Your doctor will explain how you should take Kerendia. They’ll also explain how much to take and how often. Be sure to follow your doctor’s instructions.

Taking Kerendia

Kerendia comes as a tablet that you swallow.

Accessible medication containers and labels

If it’s hard for you to read the label on your prescription, tell your doctor or pharmacist. Certain pharmacies may provide medication labels that:

  • have large print
  • use braille
  • contain a code you can scan with a smartphone to change the text into audio

Your doctor or pharmacist may be able to recommend a pharmacy that offers these options if your current pharmacy doesn’t.

Also, if you’re having trouble opening your medication bottles, let your pharmacist know. They may be able to put Kerendia in an easy-open container. Your pharmacist may also recommend tools to help make it simpler to open the drug’s container.

Questions about taking Kerendia

Below are some common questions about taking Kerendia.

Can Kerendia be chewed, crushed, or split? Kerendia’s manufacturer has not stated whether the tablets can be chewed or split. If possible, you should swallow the tablets whole.

If you have trouble swallowing tablets, check out this article. You can also talk with your doctor or pharmacist. They may suggest you crush the tablet and mix it with water or soft food, such as applesauce. You’ll swallow this mixture right away. Do not store the mixture for later use.

Should I take Kerendia with food? You can take Kerendia with or without food.

Is there a best time of day to take Kerendia? No, you can take Kerendia any time of day. But try to take your doses around the same time each day. This can help keep a steady level of the drug in your body, which helps it work effectively.

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Before taking Kerendia, it’s important to talk with your doctor about several factors. Tell them about your overall health, any medical conditions you have, and any other medications you take. These and other factors are described in more detail below.

Interactions

Taking a medication with certain vaccines, foods, and other things can affect how the medication works. These effects are called interactions.

Before taking Kerendia, be sure to tell your doctor about all medications you take, including prescription and over-the-counter types. Also describe any vitamins, herbs, or supplements you use. Your doctor or pharmacist can tell you about any interactions these items may cause with Kerendia.

For information about drug-condition interactions, see the “Warnings” section below.

Interactions with drugs or supplements

Kerendia can interact with several kinds of drugs. These include:

  • angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, such as lisinopril (Zestril)
  • angiotensin II receptor blockers, such as losartan (Cozaar)
  • certain diuretics, such as spironolactone (Aldactone, Carospir) and triamterene (Dyrenium)
  • nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) and naproxen (Aleve, Anaprox DS, others)
  • the antifungal drug itraconazole (Sporanox, Tolsura)
  • the antibiotic drug erythromycin (Eryc, Ery-Tab, others)
  • the heart rhythm drug amiodarone (Nexterone, Pacerone)
  • the HIV drug efavirenz (Sustiva)
  • potassium supplements

This list does not contain all types of drugs that may interact with Kerendia. Your doctor or pharmacist can tell you more about these interactions and any others that may occur with use of Kerendia.

Other interactions

In addition to the drugs listed above, Kerendia may interact with grapefruit and grapefruit juice. Grapefruit can prevent your body from breaking down Kerendia properly. This can cause the drug to build up in your body, which could raise your risk of side effects.

For more information about how grapefruit may interact with certain drugs, talk with your doctor or pharmacist, or check out this article.

Warnings

Kerendia can sometimes cause harmful effects in people who have certain conditions. This is known as a drug-condition interaction. Other factors may also affect whether Kerendia is a good treatment option for you.

Talk with your doctor about your health history before you take Kerendia. Factors to consider include those described below.

High level of potassium in the blood. Kerendia may cause a high level of potassium in the blood. If your potassium level is already high before treatment, the drug could worsen your condition.

Before starting Kerendia treatment, your doctor may check your potassium level with a blood test. They’ll tell you whether your potassium level is within a range that makes it safe to start treatment with Kerendia.

Adrenal insufficiency. Doctors usually will not prescribe Kerendia for people with adrenal insufficiency. This condition may cause a high level of potassium in your blood. Kerendia can also cause high potassium levels.

You may have a higher risk of low potassium levels if you have adrenal insufficiency and take Kerendia. Your doctor can recommend a safer treatment option for your condition.

Allergic reaction. If you’ve had an allergic reaction to Kerendia or any of its ingredients, your doctor will likely not prescribe Kerendia. Ask them what other medications are better options for you.

Kerendia and alcohol

Kerendia isn’t known to interact with alcohol. But it’s important to note that alcohol can affect your blood sugar levels. Kerendia is used in people who have type 2 diabetes. Drinking alcohol could make it hard to manage your blood sugar while taking this drug.

If you drink alcohol, talk with your doctor about how much (if any) is safe for you to drink while taking Kerendia.

Pregnancy and breastfeeding

It’s not known whether Kerendia is safe to take while pregnant or breastfeeding. If you have questions about taking this drug during pregnancy or while breastfeeding, talk with your doctor.

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