Maze Therapeutics’ Kidney Drug Shows Early Promise in Phase II Study

Maze Therapeutics has reported encouraging Phase II results for its investigational kidney disease treatment, MZE829, potentially positioning it as a competitor to Vertex Pharmaceuticals.

In the HORIZON trial, the oral APOL1 inhibitor achieved a 35.6% average reduction in proteinuria at 12 weeks, measured by urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio. Half of the participants experienced reductions exceeding 30%, with even stronger responses observed in patients with focal segmental glomerulosclerosis.

The therapy was well tolerated, with no serious safety concerns reported. MZE829 targets APOL1-mediated kidney disease by addressing underlying disease mechanisms, offering a precision medicine approach.

Maze plans to continue the study and advance the drug into later-stage trials. The results place it in direct competition with Vertex’s inaxaplin, as both therapies aim to treat the same genetic pathway in kidney disease.

28-03-2026