Skip to main content

Budesonide Yields Durable Reduction in eGFR for IgA Nephropathy

Medically reviewed by Drugs.com.

By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter

MONDAY, Aug. 21, 2023 -- For patients with immunoglobulin A (IgA) nephropathy, nine months of treatment with targeted-release formulation of budesonide (Nefecon) yields a greater reduction in estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) than placebo, which lasts for two years, according to a study published online Aug. 14 in The Lancet.

Richard Lafayette, M.D., from Stanford University in California, and colleagues conducted a phase 3, multicenter, randomized trial involving adults with primary IgA nephropathy, eGFR of 35 to 90 mL/min/1.73 m2, and persistent proteinuria despite optimized renin-angiotensin system blockade. Patients were randomly assigned to receive 16 mg/day budesonide or matching placebo (182 per treatment group) for nine months followed by a 15-month observational follow-up period.

The researchers found that over two years, the time-weighted average of eGFR showed a significant treatment benefit with budesonide versus placebo (difference, 5.05 mL/min/1.73 m2), with time-weighted average changes of −2.47 and −7.52 mL/minute/1.73 m2 reported with budesonide and placebo, respectively. During treatment with budesonide, the most commonly reported treatment-emergent adverse events were peripheral edema, hypertension, muscle spasms, acne, and headache. There were no reports of treatment-related deaths.

"The final NefIgArd study analysis has verified the clinical benefit of Nefecon treatment as the first approved, disease-specific treatment that is able to significantly reduce the rate of kidney function decline in patients with primary IgA nephropathy," the authors write.

Several authors disclosed ties to pharmaceutical companies, including Calliditas Therapeutics, which manufactures Nefecon and funded the study.

Abstract/Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)

Editorial (subscription or payment may be required)

Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.

© 2024 HealthDay. All rights reserved.

Posted August 2023

Read this next

Few With Type 2 Diabetes Receive Guideline-Recommended CKD Screening

MONDAY, July 1, 2024 -- Fewer than one-quarter of patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) receive recommended chronic kidney disease (CKD) screening, according to a study published...

Triglyceride-Glucose Index Independently Linked to All-Cause Mortality

FRIDAY, June 21, 2024 -- The triglyceride-glucose (TyG) index is independently associated with all-cause mortality among patients with heart failure and chronic kidney disease...

Amino Acids Reduced Acute Kidney Injury After Cardiac Surgery

TUESDAY, June 18, 2024 -- Among adult patients undergoing cardiac surgery, infusion of amino acids reduces the occurrence of acute kidney injury (AKI), according to a study...

More news resources

Subscribe to our newsletter

Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.