German pharmaceutical and life sciences company Bayer AG (ETR:BAYN) (OTC:BAYRY) announced on Thursday the start of a Phase II clinical trial to evaluate BAY3283142, an investigational soluble guanylate cyclase (sGC) activator, in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD).

CKD affects more than 850 million people globally and is a significant risk factor for cardiovascular disease.

The randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multi-centre ALPINE-1 study aims to assess the efficacy and safety of BAY3283142 as a potential treatment option for CKD patients. It follows successful first-in-human trials.