What the trial was testing
The RAFT enrolled 55 patients with kidney disease. The study was sponsored by Johns Hopkins University and tracked outcomes across the full group of patients who matched the trial's eligibility profile.
It was an early-stage trial — researchers are still confirming safety and getting an early look at how well the treatment works. Trials at this stage are designed to produce evidence regulators and physicians can act on — not just observations to follow up later.
What the results showed
6 of 17 babies with no kidneys survived to hospital discharge after experimental fluid treatments during pregnancy.
JAMA · 2023 · NCT03101891
These findings — that babies born without kidneys left the hospital alive on dialysis — were published in the JAMA and represent the headline result of the study.
Researchers tracked outcomes across 55 patients enrolled in the trial. The result was consistent enough across the group that the team felt confident reporting it.
What this means for patients
For patients with kidney disease, this result changes the calculus on what to ask their care team about. Whether it changes day-to-day care depends on factors like disease subtype, prior treatments, and where the patient is in their care journey.
What you can do now
This was an early safety study for a condition that is usually fatal at birth. The treatment is not FDA-approved and remains highly experimental. If you're facing this diagnosis, ask your maternal-fetal medicine team about fetal therapy centers and whether this approach might be an option for your family.
Eligibility for the treatments mentioned above depends on specific test results and clinical history. Bring this summary, the trial name, and your most recent labs or pathology report to your next visit.
Open kidney disease trials
Project: Every Child for Younger Patients With Cancer
This study gathers health information for the Project: Every Child for younger patients with cancer. Gathering health information over time from younger patients with cancer may help doctors find better methods of treatment and on-going care.
Phase III Extension Study of Efficacy and Safety of Ianalumab With or Without Study Treatment Withdrawal in Participants With Lupus Nephritis (SIRIUS-LN Extension)
The purpose of this up to 6-year extension study is the evaluation of the efficacy and safety 1. after study treatment withdrawal in patients with lupus nephritis (LN) who achieved response (complete renal response \[CRR\] or partial renal response \[PRR\]) on double-blind treatment at the end of the SIRIUS-LN core study, and 2. of open-label ianalumab 300 mg treatment in patients who, at the end of the SIRIUS-LN core study, were either already receiving ianalumab open-label treatment or did not meet CRR/PRR criteria on double-blind treatment at the end of the SIRIUS-LN core study.