Pulsed Oral Sirolimus in Autosomal Dominant Polycystic Kidney Disease

Sirolimus (SIR) has lead to a reduction of overall kidney size, a decrease in cyst density and general tubular cell proliferation in animal models, and to a reduction of the increase in creatinine and blood urea nitrogen by 34 and 39 percent respectively, as well as a reduction of cyst proliferation, expressed by a 30 percent reduction of overall kidney enlargement, a reduction in general cyst volume, and a reduction of the cyst volume density in the renal cortex in humans. However, despite promising data from animal- and in vivo studies, most mammalian target of rapamycin inhibitor (mTOR-I) studies in patients with autosomal-dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) produced only subtle if any clinically relevant effects on cyst growth and the preservation of renal function. In this study we will investigate if pulsed administration of SIR in a fixed weekly oral dose of 3 mg over 24 months compared to placebo significantly reduces cyst growth and preserves excretory renal function in patients with ADPKD and an estimated glomerular filtration (eGFR) rate below 60 mL/min per 1.73m2.