Glomerulonephritis (GN) is a group of rare diseases (<5 per 250,000 population), yet it is a leading cause of kidney failure and accounts annually for close to 20% of new cases of kidney failure/end stage kidney disease in Canada. Preventing progression to kidney failure is possible; however, there are several barriers and gaps in knowledge that need to be addressed to provide patients with individualized effective therapy. 

As part of the SPOR Canadian GN Registry (CGNR) and Translational Research Initiative, we are collaborating with other centers across Canada to address these challenges. We are creating a registry by enrolling a large group of patients across the country with these types of glomerulonephritis: MCD (minimal change disease), FSGS (Focal and segmental glomerulosclerosis), MN (Membranous nephropathy), Mesangioproliferative Glomerulonephritis (MPGN) or IgAN (Immunoglobulin A nephropathy). Participation involves a hospital visit twice a year over a two-year period to collect medical information, demographics (such as age and gender), as well as blood and urine samples. These data will be an invaluable resource for translational research of this set of kidney diseases. 

For more information, please visit the ClinicalTrials.gov webpage that outlines the study details here. For general inquires about this study, please email projects@bcpra.ubc.ca.

The study will test a new investigational drug referred to as OMS721. During the study, all patients will continue with their current treatment for IgAN and will also receive either the study drug or placebo. Each dose of the study drug or placebo will be given via a 30-minute intravenous infusion (through a vein) once a week for 12 weeks at St. Paul's Hospital. After a period of response evaluation, another 12 weeks of treatment (drug or placebo) may be possible if the response was not optimal.

Name of Study: "A Randomized, Double-blind, Placebo-controlled, Phase 3 Study of the Safety and Efficacy of OMS721 in Patients with Immunoglobulin A (IgA) Nephropathy (Artemis-IGAN)"

For more information, please visit the ClinicalTrials.gov webpage that outlines the study details here. For general inquires about this study, please email projects@bcpra.ubc.ca.

This research project is testing an experimental drug for IgA Nephropathy called ISIS 696844. The drug has been tested in two healthy volunteer studies previously, but this is the first time it's being tested in patients with IgA Nephropathy. Everyone in this study will receive the study drug by sub-cutaneous (under the skin) injection, eight times over a 24-week treatment period. No one will receive placebo.

Name of Study: "An Open-Label Phase 2a Clinical Study to Evaluate the Effectiveness and Safety of IONIS-FB-LRx, an Antisense Inhibitor of Complement Factor B, in Adult Subjects with Primary IgA Nephropathy"

For more information, please visit the ClinicalTrials.gov webpage that outlines the study details here. For general inquires about this study, please email projects@bcpra.ubc.ca. 

Immunoglobulin A Nephropathy (IgAN) is the most common cause of glomerulonephritis worldwide and causes kidney failure/end-stage renal disease in a significant percentage of patients; however, there is currently no optimal management strategy for this condition. Therapeutic options include treatment to reduce blood pressure and protein in the urine (proteinuria, which is a sign of kidney damage). For patients with more severe disease, immunosuppressive agents such as corticosteroids or cyclophosphamide may also be given. Although these drugs may lower the risk of kidney disease progression and the need for dialysis and transplantation, their use is limited because of their well-known adverse effects. No disease-specific therapies are currently available, and an unmet need persists for novel interventions, particularly in patients who are at risk of progressive disease that can result in kidney failure.

Due to the unmet need for new treatment in IgAN, there are many new studies exploring drugs for this disease. 

For more information, please email projects@bcpra.ubc.ca or kvela@providencehealth.bc.ca. If a nephrologist thinks that participation in a research study could be beneficial for an IgAN patient, they can make a referral to the clinic of Sean Barbour, who is the Principal Investigator for these studies and best equipped to decide which, if any, of these studies would be most suitable and appropriate for each individual's specific set of circumstances.