TREASURE-CKD reaches estimated primary completion with no results yet public

A phase 2b study called TREASURE-CKD, run by Eli Lilly, was scheduled to reach primary completion in September 2026, meaning the main round of data collection for its central measurement was expected to wrap up around that time ^[1][2]. As of September 14, 2026, no results had been made public ^[1].

The trial enrolled 140 adults who have chronic kidney disease along with overweight or obesity, with or without type 2 diabetes ^[1][2]. Participants received tirzepatide, the drug sold as Mounjaro for diabetes and Zepbound for weight management, though this study is testing it specifically for a kidney-related mechanism rather than for either of its approved uses ^[1][2].

The trial's primary endpoint is not weight loss or blood sugar control. It is the change in renal sinus fat, measured by MRI, after 52 weeks of treatment ^[1][2]. Renal sinus fat is fat that builds up around the blood vessels and other structures inside the kidney. Researchers are also tracking secondary measures, including kidney oxygenation levels and measured glomerular filtration rate, a lab-based way of assessing how well the kidneys filter blood ^[1][2]. This is a mechanistic study, meaning it is designed to explain how or why a treatment might work at a biological level, not to prove it improves long-term outcomes like kidney failure or dialysis rates ^[1][2].

Why it matters for patients

Chronic kidney disease and obesity often occur together, and doctors have limited tools to address the fat that accumulates in and around the kidneys. If tirzepatide is shown to reduce renal sinus fat and improve markers like kidney oxygenation or filtration rate, it could point toward a new way of thinking about kidney protection in people who are also overweight or obese. But that is a big if. This is a phase 2b trial with 140 participants, a relatively small group, and it is built around imaging and lab measurements rather than clinical outcomes patients would notice day to day, such as fewer hospitalizations or slower progression to kidney failure ^[1][2].

For people currently living with chronic kidney disease and taking or considering tirzepatide for another approved reason, such as type 2 diabetes or weight management, this study does not change what the drug is currently approved to treat. The sources do not describe any change in prescribing guidance tied to this trial. What the study may eventually offer is scientific evidence about a possible additional benefit, or it may show no meaningful effect. Both are real possibilities until data are published.

It's also worth noting what is not yet known. The sources do not report interim safety findings, dropout rates, or any early signals about whether renal sinus fat changed during the trial. There is no confirmed date for when results will be released, and typical timelines for posting data on registries like ClinicalTrials.gov can extend well beyond the primary completion date ^[1].

What happens next

The estimated primary completion date was September 2026, but the sources do not specify an exact day within that month, nor a firm publication date for results ^[1][2]. Results reporting on ClinicalTrials.gov can lag behind primary completion, and full findings may first appear in a scientific journal or at a medical conference rather than directly on the registry. Readers watching for updates on tirzepatide and kidney disease will need to wait for Lilly or independent researchers to release trial data before any conclusions about clinical benefit can be drawn.