Summary
Metoprolol 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. ClinicalTrials.gov lists 5 registered trials linking Metoprolol to Chronic Kidney Disease: 1 is currently recruiting; 3 have completed; 1 is terminated, withdrawn, suspended or of unknown status. The most advanced is Phase 3 (NCT05931276). It plans or enrolled 2540 participants. Registration activity spans 1995 to 2024. The literature layer holds 6 publications for this pair: 1 randomised controlled trial publication and 5 clinical trial publications. Publication years run from 2005 to 2021. These are primary trial reports rather than syntheses, so results have not yet been pooled or graded independently.
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 | 49.5 (trials 16.5, literature 13.0, tier 15, approved bonus 5.0) |
| Registered trials | 5 total: 1 recruiting, 0 active / not yet recruiting, 3 completed, 1 other |
| Linked publications | 6 (5 clinical trial publications, 1 randomised controlled trial publication) |
| Agent type | Drug (Small molecule) |
| Development stage (any indication) | Approved |
| Mechanism / class | Not recorded |
| Data sources | Open Targets, ChEMBL |
| Linked via biomarker / target | ABCC8 |
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trial scores by status (recruiting / active / enrolling 3, completed 2.5, not yet recruiting 2, unknown 1, terminated / withdrawn / suspended 0.5) plus a phase bonus (phase 3-4 +2, phase 2 +1, phase 1 +0.5).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
| NCT ID | Title | Status | Phase | Enrolment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NCT04364139 | African American Study of Kidney Disease and Hypertension 1995 | completed | Phase 3 | 1,094 |
| NCT05931276 | CSP #2026 - Beta Blocker Dialyzability on Cardiovascular Outcomes 2024 | recruiting | Phase 3 | 2,540 |
| NCT02966717 | Rituximab Combined With MSCs in the Treatment of PNS (3-4 Stage of CKD) 2016 | status unknown | Phase 2 | 116 |
| NCT01291888 | Nebivolol Versus Sustained Release Metoprolol Succinate in Patients With Chronic Kidney Disease 2011 | completed | Not applicable | 50 |
| NCT03361280 | Removal of Beta Blocker Drugs by Hemodialysis 2015 | completed | PHASE1, PHASE2 | 8 |
Published literature
- Clinical trial publication Effects of enhanced versus reduced vasodilating treatment on brachial and central blood pressure in patients with chronic kidney disease: a randomized controlled trialKhatir DS, Carlsen RK, Ivarsen P et al. · Journal of hypertension · 2021 · PMID 34313633
- Clinical trial publication Effects of additional vasodilatory or nonvasodilatory treatment on renal function, vascular resistance and oxygenation in chronic kidney disease: a randomized clinical trialKhatir DS, Pedersen M, Ivarsen P et al. · Journal of hypertension · 2019 · PMID 29995697
- Clinical trial publication Metoprolol Increases Uric Acid and Risk of Gout in African Americans With Chronic Kidney Disease Attributed to HypertensionJuraschek SP, Appel LJ, Miller ER 3rd · American journal of hypertension · 2017 · PMID 28830083
- Clinical trial publication Influence of chronic renal failure on stereoselective metoprolol metabolism in hypertensive patientsCerqueira PM, Coelho EB, Geleilete TJ et al. · Journal of clinical pharmacology · 2005 · PMID 16291718
- Clinical trial publication Blood pressure control, drug therapy, and kidney diseaseContreras G, Greene T, Agodoa LY et al. · Hypertension (Dallas, Tex. : 1979) · 2005 · PMID 15897360
- Randomized controlled trial The relationship between magnitude of proteinuria reduction and risk of end-stage renal disease: results of the African American study of kidney disease and hypertensionLea J, Greene T, Hebert L et al. · Archives of internal medicine · 2005 · PMID 15851648
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 Open Targets and ChEMBL, in this case via the biomarker or target ABCC8. The tier describes how well the drug-disease link is documented, not how well the drug works.
Frequently asked questions
Is Metoprolol approved for Chronic Kidney Disease?
Metoprolol 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 Metoprolol in clinical trials for Chronic Kidney Disease?
ClinicalTrials.gov lists 5 registered trials linking Metoprolol to Chronic Kidney Disease: 1 is currently recruiting; 3 have completed; 1 is terminated, withdrawn, suspended or of unknown status. The most advanced is Phase 3 (NCT05931276). It plans or enrolled 2540 participants. Registration activity spans 1995 to 2024.
What does the evidence show for Metoprolol in Chronic Kidney Disease?
Metoprolol has 3 completed trials and 6 linked publications for Chronic Kidney Disease. Completed trials may or may not have posted results; follow the NCT links to check. OSMF's existing evidence tier for this pair is A (Strong), derived from the strength of the disease association recorded in Open Targets and ChEMBL, in this case via the biomarker or target ABCC8. 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.