Can I join a clinical trial if I have both diabetes and kidney disease?

Yes. Many SGLT2 inhibitor and ERA trials specifically enrol patients with both T2DM and CKD (diabetic kidney disease). This is a major research area. Some trials even require both conditions. Your nephrologist and diabetologist can coordinate to identify the best trials for your combined condition.

Are SGLT2 inhibitor trials available for both conditions?

Yes. SGLT2 inhibitors (dapagliflozin, empagliflozin) were originally diabetes drugs that showed remarkable kidney and heart benefits. There are now trials specifically for CKD patients without diabetes, as well as trials for diabetic kidney disease. These drugs have transformed both treatment landscapes.

Which condition has more clinical trials?

Type 2 diabetes has considerably more clinical trials than CKD — roughly 4-5 times as many. This reflects the higher prevalence and massive pharmaceutical investment in diabetes. However, CKD trials have grown significantly in recent years, driven by SGLT2 inhibitors, endothelin receptor antagonists, and novel mechanisms.

Metabolic Renal Comparison Updated 26 May 2026

Type 2 Diabetes vs Chronic Kidney Disease — Clinical Trial Comparison

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Type 2 Diabetes

Insulin resistance and metabolic dysfunction

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Chronic Kidney Disease

Progressive decline in kidney function

Type 2 Diabetes (T2DM) and Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) are deeply interconnected — diabetes is the leading cause of CKD in the UK. Their clinical trial landscapes overlap significantly, particularly around SGLT2 inhibitors, yet they also have distinct treatment pathways and trial opportunities.

Key Differences at a Glance

Feature	Type 2 Diabetes	Chronic Kidney Disease
Primary issue	Insulin resistance and hyperglycaemia	Progressive loss of kidney filtration function
Key biomarkers	HbA1c, C-peptide, GAD antibodies	eGFR, albuminuria, UACR
Disease measurement	HbA1c target, glucose monitoring	eGFR stage (1-5), UACR category
UK prevalence	~4.3 million diagnosed	~1.8 million diagnosed (est. 3.5m undiagnosed)
Connection	Leading cause of CKD (~40% of CKD cases)	Common complication of T2DM
Treatment paradigm	Glycaemic control + cardiovascular risk reduction	Slow progression + manage complications

Clinical Trial Availability

Trial Aspect	Type 2 Diabetes	Chronic Kidney Disease
UK trials actively recruiting	100–160 studies	25–45 studies
Most common trial phase	Phase 2–3	Phase 2–3
Top interventions tested	GLP-1 agonists, dual agonists, SGLT2 inhibitors, novel insulins	SGLT2 inhibitors, ERAs, stem cell, gene therapy
Shared drug classes	SGLT2 inhibitors, GLP-1 agonists (kidney outcomes)
Prevention trials	Pre-diabetes intervention	Early CKD detection, progression prevention
Device/tech trials	Continuous glucose monitors, insulin pumps, closed-loop systems	Home monitoring, dialysis innovation

The SGLT2 Revolution — Shared Ground

SGLT2 inhibitors have transformed both T2DM and CKD treatment. Originally developed for diabetes, they showed remarkable kidney and heart protection in large outcome trials:

DAPA-CKD — dapagliflozin reduced kidney failure by 47% in CKD patients (with and without diabetes)
EMPA-KIDNEY — empagliflozin slowed kidney disease progression across a broad CKD population
CREENCE — canagliflozin showed kidney protection in diabetic kidney disease
Ongoing trials are testing next-generation SGLT2 inhibitors and novel combinations

Treatment Approaches in Current Trials

T2DM — Hot Trial Areas

GLP-1 agonist next-gen — tirzepatide (dual GIP/GLP-1), retatrutide (triple agonist)
Oral GLP-1 — oral semaglutide and competitors
Insulin innovation — once-weekly insulins, glucose-responsive insulins
Weight management + diabetes — combined metabolic trials
Artificial pancreas/closed-loop — automated insulin delivery systems
Remission trials — intensive lifestyle and medication approaches to achieve diabetes remission

CKD — Hot Trial Areas

Endothelin receptor antagonists (ERAs) — atrasentan, sparsentan for proteinuric CKD
Stem cell therapy — regenerative approaches for kidney repair
Gene therapy — for polycystic kidney disease and genetic CKD
Novel anti-fibrotics — targeting kidney fibrosis progression
Dialysis innovation — wearable/portable dialysis devices
APOL1-targeted therapy — for APOL1-associated kidney disease

💡 Diabetic kidney disease: a unique trial niche

If you have both T2DM and CKD, you may qualify for specialised diabetic kidney disease (DKD) trials. These trials test treatments specifically for the interaction between diabetes and kidney damage. SGLT2 inhibitor trials, GLP-1 kidney outcome trials, and novel anti-fibrotic studies all target this population. This is one of the most active research areas in clinical trials.

Eligibility Differences

T2DM Trial Criteria

HbA1c threshold required (typically 7.0–10.0% depending on trial)
Treatment line: diet-controlled, metformin-only, oral combination, insulin-treated
BMI may be a factor — some trials require BMI ≥ 25 or ≥ 30
Duration of diabetes specified (e.g., diagnosed >6 months)
Exclusion of Type 1 diabetes (C-peptide and GAD antibody testing)

CKD Trial Criteria

eGFR range required (Stage 3a: 45-59, 3b: 30-44, Stage 4: 15-29)
UACR level (albuminuria) often required — especially for proteinuric CKD trials
Diabetes status matters — some CKD trials are diabetes-specific, others exclude it
Stable background medication required (ACEi/ARB at maximum tolerated dose)
Rate of eGFR decline may be used as inclusion criterion

💉 Type 2 Diabetes Trials

Find actively recruiting T2DM clinical trials across the UK

View T2DM Trials

🫘 Chronic Kidney Disease Trials

Find actively recruiting CKD clinical trials across the UK

View CKD Trials

Have both conditions?

Our Smart Matcher can help find trials specifically suited to diabetic kidney disease.

Open Smart Matcher