Overview
- The University of Hong Kong–led team reports that finerenone, approved for diabetes‑related chronic kidney disease, helped dormant follicles produce mature eggs in a 14‑patient pilot.
- Participants received 20 mg of finerenone twice weekly, and in several cases doctors retrieved mature oocytes that were successfully fertilized in vitro.
- Preclinical mouse studies showed the drug reduced excess collagen, softened ovarian tissue, restored Kit ligand signaling, and enabled follicle growth.
- Finerenone was identified after screening nearly 1,300 FDA‑approved compounds for boosting Kit ligand in ovarian stromal cells.
- The findings, published in Science (2026; DOI: 10.1126/science.adz4075), are early proof of concept for premature ovarian insufficiency, a condition affecting up to about 3% of women under 40, and experts stress the need for larger, controlled trials to confirm safety and efficacy.