Cardiac Improvement by Eplerenone Among Patients Under Cyclosporine or Tacrolimus for Kidney Transplantation. (KT-CANOPY)

September 14, 2026 updated by: Pr. Nicolas GIRERD, Central Hospital, Nancy, France

Randomized Controlled Trial Evaluating the Impact of Mineralocorticoid Receptor Blockade by Eplerenone on Echocardiographic Abnormalities Among Kidney Graft Recipient Under Calcineurin Inhibitors. KT-CANOPY: Cardiac Improvement by Eplerenone Among Patients Under Cyclosporine or Tacrolimus for Kidney Transplantation.

The main objective of this research is to evaluate the effect, for 36 weeks, of eplerenone on abnormalities observed on cardiac ultrasound in patients with kidney transplantation for at least one year, under cyclosporine or tacrolimus. The intervention group will receive the usual standard treatment coupled with eplerenone for 36 weeks from randomization, while the control group will only receive the standard treatment. The main hypothesis is that anticalcineurins (cyclosporin or tacrolimus) lead to activation of the MR of vascular smooth muscle cells, vasoconstriction and vascular inflammation, which contributes to the persistence or recurrence of heart abnormalities in these patients after the initial post-transplant phase. The administration of eplerenone could antagonize this hyperactivation, reduce the cardiovascular effects of anticalcineurins and thus ultimately improve the cardiovascular prognosis of transplant patients.

Study Overview

Status

Not yet recruiting

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

132

Phase

  • Phase 3

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Contact Backup

Study Locations

  • France
      • Nantes, France
        • CHU Nantes
        • Contact:
        • Principal Investigator:
          • Simon VILLE, MD PhD
      • Strasbourg, France
        • CHU Strasbourg - nouvel hôpital Civil
        • Contact:
        • Principal Investigator:
          • Nans FLORENS, MD PhD
      • Vandœuvre-lès-Nancy, France
        • CHRU Nancy - hôpital Brabois
        • Contact:
        • Principal Investigator:
          • Nesrine BAILI

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Male or female with 18 years old or older.
  • Transplant patient for at least one year.
  • Patient on long-term cyclosporine or tacrolimus.
  • Patient whose clinical situation has been stable for at least 3 months, without major treatment modification and without an episode of acute rejection.
  • Patient with renal function with a GFR (glomerular filtration rate) greater than or equal to 40 ml/min/1.73m2.
  • Patient with systolic blood pressure greater than or equal to 110 mmHg, with or without antihypertensive treatment.
  • Patient with the following echocardiographic abnormalities at baseline : an left ventricular mass > to 88 g/m2 in females or > to 102 g/m2 in males and/or left atrial volume > 34 ml/m2.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Kidney transplant recipient more than 5 years post-transplantation.
  • Patient with permanent atrial fibrillation.
  • Patient with valvular heart disease (grade ≥ 3).
  • Patient considered to be at very high risk of mortality within the next year.
  • Patient with documented serum potassium ≥ 5.0 mmol/L within the previous month or receiving long-term potassium-binding resin therapy.
  • Patient with documented serum bicarbonate < 20 mmol/L within the previous month, with or without bicarbonate supplementation.
  • Patient receiving treatment with a mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist or having a formal indication for such treatment.
  • Patient receiving another potassium-sparing diuretic.
  • Patient receiving combined treatment with an ACE inhibitor and an angiotensin receptor blocker (each agent being permitted individually).
  • Patient receiving digoxin therapy.
  • Left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) < 40% on the baseline echocardiographic assessment.
  • Planned closure of an existing arteriovenous fistula within the following year.
  • Known hypersensitivity or allergy to eplerenone or any of its excipients.
  • Patient with severe hepatic impairment (Child-Pugh class C).
  • Patient currently receiving treatment with a strong CYP3A4 inhibitor (e.g., itraconazole, ketoconazole, ritonavir, nelfinavir, clarithromycin, telithromycin, or nefazodone).
  • Patient with known galactose intolerance, Lapp lactase deficiency, or glucose-galactose malabsorption syndrome.
  • Patient with a contraindication to Kayexalate®: history of hypersensitivity to polystyrene sulfonate resins, obstructive bowel disease, or concomitant treatment with sorbitol-containing laxatives.
  • Woman of childbearing potential not using an effective method of contraception or planning to become pregnant within the next 12 months.
  • Patient participating in another interventional clinical study involving modifications to therapeutic management.

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Intervention group (under Eplerenone):
Standard treatment according to usual care, combined with eplerenone for 36 weeks. Start of treatment with eplerenone at the initial dose of 25 mg/day, then adjusted according to clinical and biological tolerance: 12.5 mg/day (i.e., 25 mg/48h), 25 mg/day, and 50 mg/day.
Drug: Eplerenone
The intervention group will receive standard treatment according to usual care, coupled with eplerenone for 36 weeks from randomization. Start of treatment with eplerenone at the initial dose of 25 mg/day, then adjusted according to clinical and biological tolerance: 12.5 mg/day (i.e., 25 mg/48h), 25 mg/day, and 50 mg/day.
No Intervention: Controle group (without eplerenone):
Standard treatment according to usual care, it can or cannot include a renin-angiotensin system blocker, left to the discretion of the physician in charge of the patient.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Time Frame
Hierarchical composite endpoint (win ratio) : 1/ Death or hospitalization for heart failure or acute coronary syndrome, 2/ Variation in indexed left ventricular mass, 3/Variation in indexed left atrial volume.
Time Frame: at 36 weeks
at 36 weeks

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Evolution of Nt-ProBNP concentration
Time Frame: randomization, at 12 and 36 weeks
randomization, at 12 and 36 weeks
Evolution of collagen biomarkers (PICP )
Time Frame: at 36 weeks
at 36 weeks
Evolution of Biological markers of endothelial dysfunction (endothelin)
Time Frame: at 36 weeks
at 36 weeks
The occurrence of hyperkalaemia
Time Frame: at 36 weeks
hyperkalaemia between 5 - 5.49; 5.5 - 6; >6mmol/L
at 36 weeks
Proportion of creatinine increase > 50%
Time Frame: at 36 weeks
Assessment of the proportion of acute kidney injury (AKI), defined as a >50% increase in serum creatinine from baseline.
at 36 weeks
Evolution of parameters of systolic function (LVEF, strain)
Time Frame: at 36 weeks
at 36 weeks
Evolution of parameters of remodeling (left ventricular volume)
Time Frame: at 36 weeks
at 36 weeks
Evolution of parameters of filling pressures (E/e')
Time Frame: at 36 weeks
at 36 weeks
Evolution of peripheral systolic blood pressure (mmHg)
Time Frame: at 36 weeks
at 36 weeks
Evolution of peripheral diastolic blood pressure (mmHg)
Time Frame: at 36 weeks
at 36 weeks
Evolution of peripheral pulse pressure (mmHg)
Time Frame: at 36 weeks
at 36 weeks
Evolution of Graft function assessed with serum creatinine (micromol/L)
Time Frame: at 36 weeks

Graft function assessed with serum creatinine with estimation of glomerular filtration rate according to the CKD-EPI formula.

The percentage of patients with GFR ≥ 90, 60-89, 45-59, 30-44, 15-29, <15ml/min/1.73m2 will also be assessed.
at 36 weeks
Evolution of proteinuria (mg/g)
Time Frame: at 36 weeks
Proteinuria measured by the proteinuria/creatininuria ratio. The percentage of patients with proteinuria/creatininuria ratio <500; 500-1000, 1000-2000, 2000-3000, >3000mg/g will also be assessed.
at 36 weeks
Evolution of parameters of remodeling (left atrial volumes)
Time Frame: at 36 weeks
at 36 weeks
Evolution of collagen biomarkers ( PIIINP)
Time Frame: at 36 weeks
at 36 weeks
Evolution of Biological markers of endothelial dysfunction ( soluble endothelium selectin)
Time Frame: at 36 weeks
at 36 weeks
Evolution of Biological markers of endothelial dysfunction (von Willebrand factor)
Time Frame: at 36 weeks
at 36 weeks
Evolution of parameters of filling pressures (E-wave deceleration time).
Time Frame: at 36 weeks
at 36 weeks
Evolution of parameters of filling pressures (Systolic Pulmonary Artery Pressure (PAPs)).
Time Frame: at 36 weeks
at 36 weeks

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Central Hospital, Nancy, France

Investigators

  • Study Chair: Nicolas GIRERD, Md PhD, CHRU NANCY

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Estimated)

February 1, 2027

Primary Completion (Estimated)

December 1, 2030

Study Completion (Estimated)

December 1, 2030

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

September 14, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

September 14, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

September 18, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

September 18, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

September 14, 2026

Last Verified

September 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • 2019PI092
  • 2024-515860-29-00 (Ctis)

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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