Pentoxifylline and Progression of Chronic Kidney Disease in Moderate-to-high Risk Patients: a Pilot Randomized, Placebo-controlled, Double-blind Trial.

The treatment objective for chronic kidney disease (CKD), regardless of etiology, is to slow or halt progression of renal dysfunction and reduce proteinuria (in those patients with proteinuric renal disease). Multi-drug medical regimens remain the cornerstone of therapy for medical-renal disease, often with an angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor and/or an angiotensin receptor blocker. These therapies, though often efficacious, have not been shown to halt disease progression entirely, and the medical therapy of renal disease remains suboptimal.

PTF is a safe, generally well-tolerated drug currently indicated for symptomatic and functional relief of intermittent claudication presumed due to chronic occlusive arterial disease of the limbs. A number of small studies in patients across a range of renal disease states show that PTF can reduce proteinuria, an important component of treatment of CKD. It is not known, however, if the drug will slow progression of CKD as measured by glomerular filtration rate.

Comparisons: subjects randomized to receive PTF compared with those randomized to receive placebo