New Treatments & Clinical Trials for Iga Nephropathy

IgA nephropathy is the most common form of glomerulonephritis worldwide, caused by deposits of IgA antibodies damaging the kidney's filtering units. Many people live with stable kidney function for years, but about 30-40% eventually progress to kidney failure. Treatment has centered on blood pressure control and immune suppression, with no approved therapies specifically targeting the disease until recently.

What's actually going on in research

Trials are testing targeted complement inhibitors that block a specific part of the immune attack, SGLT2 inhibitors borrowed from diabetes care that appear to protect kidneys broadly, and drugs that reduce IgA antibody production in the gut. Sparsentan, a dual endothelin and angiotensin receptor blocker, gained FDA approval in 2023 as the first drug approved specifically for IgA nephropathy.

What to know before you search

Eligibility typically depends on the level of protein in the urine, kidney function measured by eGFR, biopsy confirmation of IgA deposits, and how recently you were diagnosed or started current treatments.

What types of trials are currently open

• Treatment trials — Testing new drugs like complement inhibitors or mucosal-targeting therapies to see if they reduce protein in the urine and slow loss of kidney function.
• Repurposing trials — Testing drugs already approved for other conditions, like SGLT2 inhibitors for diabetes, to see if they help preserve kidney function in IgA nephropathy.
• Combination trials — Testing whether adding new targeted drugs to standard blood pressure medications works better than either alone.
• Biomarker studies — Following people over time to identify which lab markers or genetic factors predict who will progress to kidney failure.
• Registry studies — Collecting detailed information from large groups of people with IgA nephropathy to understand disease patterns and treatment outcomes in real-world settings.