A new treatment called atacicept has shown positive results in a large clinical trial for IgA nephropathy, a common cause of kidney failure, according to findings published in the New England Journal of Medicine.
The results come from the ORIGIN 3 trial, a phase 3 study — the final and largest stage of testing before a drug can be considered for approval. The trial examined atacicept as a treatment for IgA nephropathy (a condition where the immune system damages the kidneys’ tiny filters, causing protein to leak into the urine and, over time, potentially leading to kidney failure).
The findings were shared by the New England Journal of Medicine at the American Society of Nephrology’s Kidney Week conference, one of the leading annual gatherings for kidney specialists worldwide.
IgA nephropathy is one of the most common forms of kidney disease globally. It gets its name from a protein called immunoglobulin A (IgA), which builds up in the kidney filters and triggers inflammation. There’s currently no cure, and treatment options are limited — so a successful phase 3 trial result is a meaningful step forward for patients living with the condition.
Atacicept works by targeting parts of the immune system that drive the IgA build-up. The ORIGIN 3 trial represents the final efficacy analysis — meaning researchers have now completed their assessment of how well the drug works, not just whether it is safe.
The full trial data are published in the New England Journal of Medicine.
—
Key information
- The American Society of Nephrology’s Kidney Week is where these findings were presented publicly
Source: @NEJM