(Alliance News) - AstraZeneca PLC on Friday touted results from a Phase IIb trial, which showed that a zibotentan and dapagliflozin combination demonstrated significant albuminuria reduction in patients with chronic kidney disease and proteinuria.

Proteinuria, which describes levels of protein in urine, is associated with an increased risk of kidney function loss over time, leading to chronic kidney disease.

According to the Cambridge, England-based pharmaceutical company, the Zenith-CKD Phase IIb trial showed that a combination of zibotentan with dapagliflozin showed "statistically significant and clinically meaningful reductions" in urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio, at 12 weeks compared with dapagliflozin alone.

The results showed a 52.5% reduction with a high-dose, and a 47.7% reduction with a low-dose combination compared to baseline, as well as an acceptable tolerability profile

"Despite current treatment options, residual proteinuria persists in a sizeable portion of patients and is associated with a high risk of kidney failure. The evidence published today supports advancement of zibotentan/dapagliflozin into a Phase III clinical trial to further assess its potential as a first-in-class treatment for residual proteinuria in CKD," said Sharon Barr, executive vice president of BioPharmaceuticals Research & Development at AstraZeneca.

AstraZeneca shares closed 2.0% lower at 15.00 pence each in London on Friday.

By Holly Beveridge, Alliance News reporter

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