By JoelSeptember 30, 20264 min read
Big News for Long-Term T1D Health
If your child has been living with type 1 diabetes for several years, you've probably heard doctors talk about protecting the kidneys. That concern just got a powerful new answer. On September 17, 2026, the FDA approved a drug called finerenone (brand name Kerendia) to treat chronic kidney disease in adults with type 1 diabetes — marking the first new kidney disease treatment for T1D patients in more than 30 years.
That's not a typo. Three decades without a new option. Until now.
What Is Kidney Disease, and Why Does It Matter in T1D?
Over time, high blood sugar levels can quietly damage the tiny blood vessels inside the kidneys. This damage — called diabetic kidney disease or chronic kidney disease (CKD) — can progress slowly and without obvious symptoms. Doctors look for early warning signs using a simple urine test that measures a protein called albumin. The more albumin leaking into the urine, the more stress the kidneys are under.
Left unaddressed, kidney disease can lead to serious problems including kidney failure. That's why catching and slowing it early matters so much.
How Does Finerenone Help?
Finerenone is a once-daily pill that works by blocking a hormone receptor in the body that, when overactivated, contributes to inflammation and scarring in the kidneys. By calming that signal, the drug helps the kidneys stay healthier for longer.
The FDA's approval was based on results from the FINE-ONE clinical trial, a large international study involving adults with type 1 diabetes and chronic kidney disease. In that trial, patients taking finerenone showed a 22% reduction in harmful protein leakage from the kidneys within just 3 months, and a 28% reduction by 6 months, compared to those taking a placebo (a sugar pill). Lowering that protein leakage is expected to reduce the risk of kidney decline and eventual kidney failure.
What This Means If Your Child Was Recently Diagnosed
Here's the honest reality: this approval is for adults with type 1 diabetes — not children. But it matters deeply to families of newly diagnosed kids for a couple of important reasons.
First, kidney disease is a long-term complication of T1D that develops over many years. The kids diagnosed today are the adults who will benefit from new treatments like finerenone tomorrow. Second, this approval signals that the medical community is actively investing in protecting every part of the body that T1D can affect — not just blood sugar control.
Think of it this way: today's researchers and regulators are working to make sure that when your child grows up, they'll have far better tools to stay healthy than previous generations ever did.
A Word on Safety
As with any medication, finerenone has side effects to be aware of. The main concern doctors watch for is hyperkalemia — a rise in potassium levels in the blood, which can affect heart rhythm. That's why this drug is used under careful medical supervision, with regular monitoring. Anyone taking it should stay in close contact with their care team.
The Bigger Picture
Decades of research, advocacy, and funding have made this moment possible. Finerenone has already been used to treat kidney disease in people with type 2 diabetes since 2021, and this new approval extends that benefit to the type 1 community — a milestone that T1D advocates have been pushing for.
If you have questions about your child's kidney health or long-term T1D complications, their endocrinologist or care team is the best place to start. Annual urine and kidney function checks are already a routine part of T1D care — and now, if a problem does develop down the road, there's a meaningful new tool to help fight it.
As always, nothing in this post replaces advice from your child's medical team. Talk to their doctor before making any changes to their care plan.