Berlin - Bayer announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has accepted its New Drug Application (NDA) and granted Priority Review for finerenone to treat patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) and type 2 diabetes (T2D).

This regulatory submission was based on Phase III FIDELIO-DKD trial data, detailed results of which were presented at the American Society of Nephrology's (ASN) Kidney Week Reimagined 2020, and simultaneously published in the New England Journal of Medicine in October 2020.

A Priority Review designation means that the FDA's goal is to take action on a New Drug Application within 6 months of acceptance, compared to 10 months under standard review.

'There is a significant unmet medical need for the nearly 40% of people in the US living with type 2 diabetes who will develop chronic kidney disease. This condition, which often progresses silently, can lead to kidney damage and eventually kidney failure, despite currently available treatments,' said Dr. Michael Devoy, Head of Medical Affairs & Pharmacovigilance of Bayer AG's Pharmaceuticals Division and Chief Medical Officer. 'Finerenone offers a potential new strategy to prevent further end-organ damage, to delay CKD progression and reduce the risk of cardiovascular events by directly targeting inflammation and fibrosis. We're encouraged that the FDA has granted the Priority Review designation, as it potentially expedites our ability to make finerenone available to patients.'

Finerenone is a first-in-class investigational non-steroidal, selective mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist (MRA) that demonstrated renal and cardiovascular benefits in patients with CKD and T2D in the Phase III FIDELIO-DKD study. Based on these data, which is part of the largest Phase III clinical trial program to date in CKD and T2D, Bayer has also submitted finerenone for marketing authorization in the EU and other countries worldwide.

About Finerenone

Finerenone (BAY 94-8862) is an investigational novel, non-steroidal, selective mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist (MRA) that has been shown to block many of the harmful effects of mineralocorticoid receptor (MR) overactivation. MR overactivation is a major driver of kidney and cardiovascular damage through inflammatory and fibrotic processes.

The Phase III program with finerenone in CKD and T2D enrolled 13,000 patients across a broad range of disease severity including those with early kidney damage and more advanced stages of kidney disease. It is the largest Phase III clinical trial program to date in CKD and T2D and comprises two studies, evaluating the effect of finerenone versus placebo on top of standard of care on both renal and cardiovascular outcomes.

FIDELIO-DKD (FInerenone in reducing kiDnEy faiLure and dIsease prOgression in Diabetic Kidney Disease) is a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group, multicenter, event-driven Phase III study that investigated the efficacy and safety of finerenone in comparison to placebo in addition to standard of care on the reduction of kidney failure and kidney disease progression in approximately 5,700 patients with CKD and T2D from more than 1,000 sites across 48 countries worldwide.

FIGARO-DKD (FInerenone in reducinG cArdiovascular moRtality and mOrbidity in Diabetic Kidney Disease) is still ongoing and is investigating the efficacy and safety of finerenone versus placebo in addition to standard of care on the reduction of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in approximately 7,400 patients with CKD and T2D across 47 countries including sites in Europe, Japan, China and the U.S.

Bayer also recently announced the initiation of the FINEARTS-HF study, a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled Phase III study which will investigate finerenone compared to placebo in more than 5,500 symptomatic heart failure patients (New York Heart Association class II-IV) with a left ventricular ejection fraction of 40%. The primary objective of the study is to demonstrate superiority of finerenone over placebo in reducing the rate of the composite endpoint of cardiovascular death and total (first and recurrent) heart failure (HF) events.

About Chronic Kidney Disease in Type 2 Diabetes

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a potentially deadly condition that is underrecognized. CKD is one of the most frequent complications arising from diabetes and is also an independent risk factor of cardiovascular disease. Approximately 40% of all patients with type 2 diabetes develop chronic kidney disease. Despite guideline-directed therapies, patients with CKD and T2D remain at high risk of CKD progression and cardiovascular events. It is estimated that CKD affects more than 160 million people with T2D worldwide. Chronic kidney disease in type 2 diabetes is the main cause of end stage kidney disease which requires dialysis or a kidney transplant to stay alive. MR over-activation is known to trigger detrimental processes (e.g. inflammation and fibrosis) in kidneys and heart in patients with CKD and type 2 diabetes (T2D).

About Bayer's Commitment in Cardiovascular and Kidney Diseases

Bayer is an innovation leader in the area of cardiovascular diseases, with a long-standing commitment to delivering science for a better life by advancing a portfolio of innovative treatments. The heart and the kidneys are closely linked in health and disease, and Bayer is working in a wide range of therapeutic areas on new treatment approaches for cardiovascular and kidney diseases with high unmet medical needs. The cardiology franchise at Bayer already includes a number of products and several other compounds in various stages of preclinical and clinical development. Together, these products reflect the company's approach to research, which prioritizes targets and pathways with the potential to impact the way that cardiovascular diseases are treated.

About Bayer

Bayer is a global enterprise with core competencies in the life science fields of health care and nutrition. Its products and services are designed to benefit people by supporting efforts to overcome the major challenges presented by a growing and aging global population. At the same time, the Group aims to increase its earning power and create value through innovation and growth. Bayer is committed to the principles of sustainable development, and the Bayer brand stands for trust, reliability and quality throughout the world. In fiscal 2019, the Group employed around 104,000 people and had sales of 43.5 billion euros. Capital expenditures amounted to 2.9 billion euros, R&D expenses to 5.3 billion euros.

Forward-Looking Statements

This release may contain forward-looking statements based on current assumptions and forecasts made by Bayer management. Various known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors could lead to material differences between the actual future results, financial situation, development or performance of the company and the estimates given here. These factors include those discussed in Bayer's public reports which are available on the Bayer website at www.bayer.com. The company assumes no liability whatsoever to update these forward-looking statements or to conform them to future events or developments.

Contact:

Dr. Daniela Esser

Tel: +49 30 468-15805

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