What the trial was testing
The trial enrolled 67 patients with kidney disease. The study was sponsored by Boehringer Ingelheim and tracked outcomes across the full group of patients who matched the trial's eligibility profile.
It was initial testing (phase 2). 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
44% of patients on the highest dose saw significant protein reduction versus 7% on placebo.
Lancet (London, England) · 2026 · NCT05213624
These findings — that showed significant reduction in protein loss versus 7% on placebo — were published in the Lancet (London, England) and represent the headline result of the study.
Researchers tracked outcomes across 67 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 treatment targets a root cause of FSGS by protecting kidney cells from damage. Results are promising but early—this was a small 12-week study. Larger trials are now underway. Talk with your kidney doctor about whether you might be eligible for the next phase of testing.
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
A Self-Controlled Study on the Treatment of Restless Legs Syndrome in Uremia With Dipyridamole
The purpose of this clinical trial is to determine whether dipyridamole can treat restless legs syndrome in patients with uremia. In addition, the safety of dipyridamole will also be evaluated. The main questions this study aims to answer include: Can dipyridamole improve the symptoms of restless legs syndrome in participants? Can dipyridamole improve participants' anxiety, depression, sleep quality, and quality of life? What adverse reactions might participants experience while taking dipyridamole? This study is a self-controlled trial in which all participants receive active drug treatment. Participants will take dipyridamole daily (50 mg per dose, three times a day) for 12 weeks. The efficacy of dipyridamole will be evaluated by comparing relevant scale scores and laboratory indicators before and after treatment. In addition, adverse reactions during the treatment follow-up will be monitored to assess the safety of dipyridamole in this patient population.
PET/MR for Characterization of Renal Masses (RMs)
The frequency of kidney tumors found incidentally on imaging studies performed for unrelated reasons continues to increase leading to more surgeries and ablations for the treatment of renal masses thought to be cancer. However, about 20% of these masses are not cancerous and do not require treatment. Many cancerous kidney tumors are indolent and can be followed safely with imaging (i.e., particularly tumors \<2 cm and in patients with limited life expectancy), while some tumors are both malignant and aggressive, with a higher potential to spread outside the kidney and require treatment. The purpose of this observational study is to assess the ability of Fludeoxyglucose (18F) (FDG) PET/MR to distinguish different types of kidney tumors. The investigators hypothesize that PET/MR will better show differences between aggressive and both indolent and benign kidney masses compared to the currently used radiologic scans. Participants will be selected from those who have been scheduled to receive a contrast-enhanced MRI for their regular care due to a suspicious kidney mass. Participants will have their MRI on a hybrid PET/MR scanner capable of obtaining both MRI and PET images. While they are receiving their standard of care MRI exam, patients will also receive a research FDG PET exam. Participants will have an IV placed for administration of the MRI contrast agent, just as they would if they were not taking part in the study. The same IV will be used to give the FDG radiopharmaceutical for the PET scan and furosemide (a diuretic), to help empty the bladder before the scan and help better see the kidneys on the scans. Both FDG and furosemide are FDA approved medications. Participants will have only one visit with the research team which will last \~2.5 hours and will include collection of the participant's regularly scheduled MRI. If participants undergo surgery to remove the tumor, the study will collect samples of the removed tissue for research. If participants receive a biopsy of the tumor, the study may collect an additional sample of the tumor for research. After the PET/MRI, participants will not have additional visits with the study team, but the study team may call every 6-12 months for up to 2 years to see how they are doing and ask about their health. The study team will review the medical record for any changes to their diagnosis, updates to their medical history, new scans ordered by their regular doctor, or recent lab or biopsy results.