5 Nephrology Headlines You Missed in August 2026

August 2026 brought a wave of practice-shifting nephrology news, headlined by the first joint European Society of Cardiology (ESC) and European Renal Association (ERA) guideline calling for universal chronic kidney disease (CKD) screening in every patient newly diagnosed with cardiovascular disease.

The month also delivered fresh trial data extending finerenone's benefit to non-diabetic CKD through FIND-CKD, 2-year eGFR results showing sibeprenlimab (Voyxact) stabilizes kidney function decline in IgA nephropathy (IgAN), and phase 2 findings on the IL-6 antibody pacibekitug in CKD-related inflammatory risk.

Rounding out the month, new research on cardiovascular-kidney-metabolic (CKM) health found early arterial injury already present in young adults, and Dana Rizk, MD, walked through how the phase 3 VISIONARY trial's design targets APRIL in IgAN.

Below is a summary of the 6 nephrology stories with the most clinical and regulatory relevance in August 2026, covering a new joint guideline, trial data, and expert perspective on CKD and IgAN care.

Guidelines & Regulatory

New ESC, ERA Guideline Calls for Universal CKD Screening in Cardiovascular Disease

The ESC and ERA published their first joint guideline on cardiovascular disease and CKD, recommending universal CKD screening with both estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio for all patients with newly diagnosed cardiovascular disease. Organized around the STAMP on CKD framework, the guideline also calls for statin-based therapy regardless of lipid levels and expanded use of SGLT2 inhibitors, finerenone, and semaglutide in CKD.

Trial Data

Pacibekitug Sustains Inflammatory Biomarker Reduction in CKD in TRANQUILITY Trial

The IL-6 antibody pacibekitug produced sustained, dose-dependent reductions in high-sensitivity C-reactive protein through 180 days in patients with CKD stage 3-4 and elevated inflammatory risk, according to phase 2 TRANQUILITY trial results presented at the ESC Congress 2026 in Munich. The largest reduction, 89%, was seen with the 15 mg every-30-day dose, and the drug was well tolerated with few discontinuations.

4 Out of 5 Young Adults Show Early Cardiovascular-Kidney-Metabolic Risk

Donald M. Lloyd-Jones, MD, MS, principal investigator of the Framingham Heart Study, discussed new data showing nearly 80% of young adults in the FF-CHAYA study were classified in an early or intermediate CKM health stage, with excess adiposity as the leading driver. Kidney-related measures, including eGFR and creatinine, tracked with CKM stage, and carotid ultrasound data revealed detectable arterial injury even in participants' early 20s.

Expert Perspective

Kidney Compass: VISIONARY 2-Year eGFR Data in IgA Nephropathy

Hosts Brendon Neuen, MBBS, PhD, and Shikha Wadhwani, MD, MS, welcomed Dana Rizk, MD, to discuss the phase 3 VISIONARY trial's 24-month eGFR and safety findings for sibeprenlimab in IgAN. Rizk reported an annualized eGFR slope of +0.3 mL/min/1.73 m² per year with sibeprenlimab versus a placebo decline of 4.2, and the conversation covered subgroup consistency, safety, and where residual proteinuria fits into long-term management.

Related: Sibeprenlimab (Voyxact) Stabilizes Kidney Function in IgAN

Kidney Compass: FIND-CKD Extends Finerenone's Benefit to Non-Diabetic CKD

On this episode of Kidney Compass, Shikha Wadhwani, MD, MS, questioned Brendon Neuen, MBBS, PhD, about finerenone and results from the phase 3 FIND-CKD trial, which found the drug slows eGFR decline and cuts cardiorenal risk by 23% in non-diabetic CKD over 32 months. Neuen also unpacked the prespecified glomerulonephritis subgroup analysis he presented at the ERA Congress, which showed consistent benefit across IgA nephropathy, focal segmental glomerulosclerosis, and membranous nephropathy.