Recruiting

Testing a new iron-based medicine for kidney disease in children

Plain-English translation of NCT04741646 on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗ · Source last updated April 2026 · Translation generated June 2026 · How we translate trials

Phase 2 — Testing in a bigger group (up to a few hundred people) to see if the treatment actually works and is still safe.

What is this trial?

This trial is testing whether —a medicine that contains iron and citrate—can help children and young adults (ages 6–18) with chronic kidney disease. The study will compare to a placebo (a pill with no active medicine) over 12 months, measuring how well it works and how safe it is. Researchers want to see if this medication can lower levels of a harmful protein called FGF23 that builds up in kidney disease.

In kidney disease, the body struggles to control minerals and proteins in the blood, which can cause serious complications. This trial is exploring whether this medication can help prevent those complications by working on a specific protein that becomes dangerous when kidney function declines.

Do you qualify?

You likely qualify if…

you are between 6 and 18 years old
you have been diagnosed with chronic kidney disease at stage 3 or 4
your kidney function (measured by GFR) is between 15–59
your phosphate blood levels are at or below normal
you are able to swallow tablets and eat at least two meals a day
you have not taken other phosphate-binding medicines recently

You likely don't qualify if…

you are currently taking other phosphate binder medications
you have a history of allergic reactions to iron or citrate
you have inflammatory bowel disease, Crohn's disease, or intestinal malabsorption
you are expected to need dialysis or a kidney transplant within the next 6 months
you have a history of iron overload or hemochromatosis

What participation looks like

If you join this study, you'll take a daily dose of either the study medication or a placebo (divided into three doses with meals) for 12 months. You'll visit the clinic for blood tests at screening, baseline, and then at months 1, 2, 3, 6, 9, and 12 to check how well the medication works and to make sure it's safe. The entire study will last about a year for each participant, and researchers will track changes in your blood work to see if the treatment helps.

AI-generated summary from trial data · Jun 6, 2026 · Not medical advice

Trial locations(20 sites)

United States

University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California

Children's Hospital of Orange County, Orange, California

University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California

Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children, Orlando, Florida

Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia