BROADWAY: Obicetrapib Preserves Kidney Function, Prevents CKD, With Stephen Nicholls, MD

Patients with high cardiovascular risk receiving CETP inhibition with obicetrapib saw preserved kidney function in addition to increased HDL-C, according to the recent BROADWAY trial.1

These data were presented at the American College of Cardiology (ACC) Scientific Sessions 2026 in New Orleans, Louisiana, by Stephen Nicholls, MD, director of the Monash Velos Accelerator, program director of MonashHeart, Intensive Care and Victorian Heart Hospital, and director of the Monash Victorian Heart Institute at Monash Health.1

“What we’re trying to demonstrate is that obicetrapib was effective, and that when added to other lipid-lowering therapy, it will produce effective lowering of LDL cholesterol, which ultimately translates to a reduction in cardiovascular events,” Nicholls told HCPLive in an exclusive interview. “The main take-home message for clinicians about this analysis is that it adds to the reassuring safety and tolerability profile of obesity.”

Patients with cardiovascular disease face a risk of chronic kidney disease (CKD) progression due to HDL-C dysfunction, which has shown an association with CKD in prior research. CETP inhibition reduces cardiovascular risk by raising HDL-C, which experts believed could benefit HDL production and protect kidney health. To judge the veracity of this, investigators conducted the BROADWAY trial.1

BROADWAY was a multinational, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial including patients with either heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia or established atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD). Patients were excluded if they had New York Heart Association class III or IV heart failure, left ventricular ejection fraction <30%, major adverse cardiac events within 3 months of screening, uncontrolled severe hypertension, or a formal diagnosis of homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia, among other criteria. A total of 2530 patients were included and randomly assigned to either obicetrapib 10 mg daily or placebo for 365 days.1,2

Among the included patients, all were on maximally tolerated lipid-lowering therapy during the trial. Baseline demographics, blood pressure, and concomitant renoprotective medications (including ACE inhibitors, ARBs, and SGLT2 inhibitors) were all well-balanced, and investigators noted their stability throughout the study duration. Renal function was assessed throughout the full study period.1

At baseline, participants had eGFR 84.2 +/- 18 mL/min/1.73 m2 and a median albumin-to-creatinine ratio of 11 mg/g. Over the course of the study, obicetrapib attenuated kidney function decline compared to placebo; annualized eGFR decline was 0.27 mL/min/1.73 m2 with obicetrapib versus 1.19 mL/min/1.73 m2 with placebo (difference 0.92 mL/min/1.73 m2; 95% CI, 0.13-1.71; P = .023). Additionally, progression to advanced CKD, which was defined as eGFR <30 mL/min/1.73 m2, occurred in 0.8% of patients versus 1.5% of placebo patients.1

Nicholls and colleagues noted moderate eGFR decline (≥25%) in 6.8% of patients in the obicetrapib arm compared to 8.3% in the placebo arm. Albuminuria progression was also lower with obicetrapib (+9 mg/g versus +13.8 mg/g with placebo). Ultimately, no patients required dialysis or kidney transplantation during follow-up.1

“We observed no deleterious effects on kidney function with obicetrapib, which is a very reassuring finding, and gives us more hope as we move forward in larger studies in the development program,” Nicholls said. “These findings are important for the practicing clinician in terms of the reassuring safety and tolerability of this agent.”

Editors’ Note: Nicholls reports disclosures with AstraZeneca, NewAmsterdam Pharma, Amgen, Omthera, Merck, Boehringer Ingelheim, and others.

References

1. Vogt L, Davidson M, Kling D, et al. CETP Inhibition With Obicetrapib Preserved Kidney Function in Patients at High Cardiovascular Risk: Results from the BROADWAY Trial. Abstract presented at the American College of Cardiology Scientific Sessions 2026, New Orleans, LA. March 28-30, 2026.

2. NewAmsterdam Pharma. Randomized Study to Evaluate the Effect of Obicetrapib on Top of Maximum Tolerated Lipid-Modifying Therapies (BROADWAY). ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT05142722. Updated September 19, 2025. Accessed April 2, 2026. https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT05142722