Summary
Indomethacin has reached the approved stage (maximum clinical phase 4) for at least one indication, so its use in Chronic Kidney Disease would be drug repurposing rather than first-in-human development. This does not mean it is approved for Chronic Kidney Disease. No registered clinical trial in this database tests Indomethacin specifically in Chronic Kidney Disease. The evidence below comes from published literature only, so any clinical signal has not yet been tested prospectively against this condition in a registered study. The literature layer holds 8 publications for this pair: 2 Cochrane reviews, 1 randomised controlled trial publication and 5 clinical trial publications. Publication years run from 1983 to 2016. Because at least one synthesis-level source exists (systematic review, meta-analysis or Cochrane review), this pair has been assessed beyond single studies, although the synthesis may concern a different indication.
The RepurpOS disease-intelligence file for Chronic Kidney Disease ranks 534 candidate therapeutics from Open Targets, ChEMBL, DGIdb and PubMed; only a minority carry direct clinical evidence, and this page covers one of those. Spontaneous remission context recorded for the condition: GFR decline averages 2-5 mL/min/year on standard care (ACE/ARB + blood pressure control); progression to end-stage renal disease (ESRD) in ~20-30% at 10 years for moderate CKD; reversal essentially impossible once structural fibrosis established.
Evidence table
| Evidence tier | A · Strong |
|---|---|
| Evidence score | 43.0 (trials 0.0, literature 23.0, tier 15, approved bonus 5.0) |
| Registered trials | 0 total: 0 recruiting, 0 active / not yet recruiting, 0 completed, 0 other |
| Linked publications | 8 (5 clinical trial publications, 2 Cochrane reviews, 1 randomised controlled trial publication) |
| Agent type | Drug (Small molecule) |
| Development stage (any indication) | Approved |
| Mechanism / class | Not recorded |
| Data sources | DGIdb |
| Linked via biomarker / target | AGTR1 |
How the evidence score is calculated
- Each registered trial scores by status (recruiting / active / enrolling 3, completed 2.5, not yet recruiting 2, unknown 1, terminated / withdrawn / suspended 0.5) plus a phase bonus (phase 3-4 +2, phase 2 +1, phase 1 +0.5). The trial component is capped at 30.
- Each literature item scores by design (Cochrane review 5, meta-analysis 4, systematic review 3, RCT 3, clinical trial publication 2, curated reference 1.5, other PubMed record 1). The literature component is capped at 30.
- The existing evidence tier adds 15 (A / Strong), 10 (B / Moderate), 5 (C / Preliminary) or 0 (D / Anecdotal).
- Agents approved for any indication (max clinical phase 4) add 5, because an approved agent has an established safety profile that lowers the barrier to repurposing trials.
- The score ranks what has been studied, not what works. It does not read effect sizes or directions of effect.
Registered clinical trials
No registered trial links Indomethacin to Chronic Kidney Disease in the current OSMF trial extract.
Published literature
- Cochrane review Pharmacological interventions for pruritus in adult palliative care patientsSiemens W, Xander C, Meerpohl JJ et al. · The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2016 · PMID 27849111
- Cochrane review Pharmacological interventions for pruritus in adult palliative care patientsXander C, Meerpohl JJ, Galandi D et al. · The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2013 · PMID 23749733
- Clinical trial publication Contractile hyporesponsiveness to norepinephrine of forearm veins in chronic renal failureSegarra G, Lluch P, Mauricio MD et al. · American journal of hypertension · 2006 · PMID 16876681
- Clinical trial publication Abnormal rhythmic oscillations of atrial natriuretic peptide and brain natriuretic peptide in chronic renal failurePedersen EB, Bacevicius E, Bech JN et al. · Clinical science (London, England : 1979) · 2006 · PMID 16396628
- Clinical trial publication Effect of high dose ramipril with or without indomethacin on glomerular selectivityPisoni R, Ruggenenti P, Sangalli F et al. · Kidney international · 2002 · PMID 12164885
- Clinical trial publication Effects of oral prostaglandins on indomethacin-induced renal failure in patients with cirrhosis and ascitesAntillon M, Cominelli F, Lo S et al. · The Journal of rheumatology. Supplement · 1990 · PMID 2325052
- Clinical trial publication Effects of acute and chronic dosing of NSAIDs in patients with renal insufficiencyToto RD, Anderson SA, Brown-Cartwright D et al. · Kidney international · 1986 · PMID 3784306
- Randomized controlled trial A controlled study of the effect of indomethacin in uremic pericarditisSpector D, Alfred H, Siedlecki M et al. · Kidney international · 1983 · PMID 6363798
Mechanism and notes
No mechanism of action is recorded for this pair in the source databases.
OSMF's existing evidence tier for this pair is A (Strong), derived from the strength of the disease association recorded in DGIdb, in this case via the biomarker or target AGTR1. The tier describes how well the drug-disease link is documented, not how well the drug works.
Frequently asked questions
Is Indomethacin approved for Chronic Kidney Disease?
Indomethacin has reached the approved stage (maximum clinical phase 4) for at least one indication, so its use in Chronic Kidney Disease would be drug repurposing rather than first-in-human development. This does not mean it is approved for Chronic Kidney Disease. Approval status for the specific indication should always be confirmed with the relevant regulator and prescribing information.
Is Indomethacin in clinical trials for Chronic Kidney Disease?
No registered clinical trial in this database tests Indomethacin specifically in Chronic Kidney Disease. The evidence below comes from published literature only, so any clinical signal has not yet been tested prospectively against this condition in a registered study.
What does the evidence show for Indomethacin in Chronic Kidney Disease?
Synthesis-level literature links Indomethacin to Chronic Kidney Disease, but no registered trial in this database tests the pair, so the evidence is observational, pooled from other indications, or pre-dates registry practice. OSMF's existing evidence tier for this pair is A (Strong), derived from the strength of the disease association recorded in DGIdb, in this case via the biomarker or target AGTR1. The tier describes how well the drug-disease link is documented, not how well the drug works.
Cite this page
Data: ClinicalTrials.gov, PubMed, Open Targets, ChEMBL, DGIdb and the OSMF therapeutic agent database. Last updated 2026-07-05. Page built 2026-10-07.