A new clinical trial, CKD-bioMatch (an important part of the PRIME-CKD project) has been initiated, aiming to improve treatment for patients with progressive chronic kidney disease (CKD).This initiative represents a major step toward bringing precision medicine from the lab to the clinic, using real biological signals to guide treatment decisions.

The CKD-bioMatch trial is recruiting 125 patients with progressive CKD. Patients from Denmark, Germany, Spain, United Kingdom and Sweden are being included for the trial that will run for 3 years

Marte Opseth Rygg, MD, PhD student, works at Steno Diabetes Center in Copenhagen, one of the trial sites for CKD-bioMatch. She and her colleagues were instrumental in the organization of the trial and getting ethical approval in CTIS. Marte says:

“”Launching the trial is a milestone that reflects many months of careful preparation and collaboration throughout the PRIME-CKD consortium. It’s incredibly rewarding to see it come to life.””.

Thomas Kümler, Associate Professor, M.D., Ph.D. adds:

We are so excited that we have now officially started the CKD-bioMatch trial in Copenhagen and the other trial sites in Europe. This study is testing a new personalized approach to the treatment of kidney disease. We  hope that many patients will be interested in participating in this unique trial, so we can establish whether the current treatment strategy for chronic kidney disease can be improved based on the individual response of patients”.

Coordinator of PRIME-CKD Hiddo L. Heerspink (UMCG, The Netherlands) shares the excitement about the start  of  the CKD-bioMatch trial:

“The enrolment of the first patients into the CKD-bioMatch trial marks an important step towards a better understanding how to personalize the treatment of CKD” says Hiddo L. Heerspink, PRIME-CKD coordinator. “This study pioneers a personalized medicine approach by using biological markers (biomarkers) to guide treatment, ensuring that the right drug reaches the right patient at the right time.”

What this may mean in practice
If successful, CKD-bioMatch could help patients receive effective therapy sooner. By identifying non-responders early, clinicians may prevent avoidable disease progression and reduce the likelihood of severe complications such as dialysis.

For healthcare systems, biomarker-guided therapy has the potential to improve treatment efficiency by focusing resources on therapies that offer measurable benefit. This could support future decision-making for reimbursement, guideline development and long-term kidney-health strategies.

PRIME-CKD – 17/12/2025