Study Reveals Possible Drug Treatment for Lupus Kidney Disease

Investigators present work at the National Kidney Foundation's virtual Spring Clinicals Meetings

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Mar 25, 2020, 10:13 ET

NEW YORK, March 25, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, the National Kidney Foundation (NKF) showcased a global study designed to understand the experimental immunosuppressant drug Voclosporin as a treatment for patients with lupus kidney disease.

The important study, "AURORA Phase 3 Trial Demonstrates Voclosporin Statistical Superiority Over Standard of Care in Lupus Nephritis (LN)," was selected as a late-breaking poster presentation chosen from among hundreds of other discoveries presented at the foundation's annual Spring Clinical Meetings.

Aurora is a global study designed to help us understand if adding voclosporin to mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) and steroids, common treatments for lupus kidney disease, will improve outcomes in patients with active lupus kidney disease. Voclosporin is being developed by Aurinia Pharmaceuticals.

"We are pleased to report that the patients who received voclosporin were 2.65 times more likely to meet the criteria for response based on proteinuria and eGFR," said lead investigator Keisha L. Gibson, MD MPH FASN, Associate Professor of Medicine and Pediatrics, DOM Vice Chair of Diversity and Inclusion Chief, Pediatric Nephrology, UNC Kidney Center. "There were no differences in the safety profile between the voclosporin and standard care groups.

"We know that achieving remission status in lupus kidney disease correlates with good long-term kidney survival and so the results of this study are very encouraging," added Dr. Gibson.

Based on the results of this study, Aurinia plans to file an application with the FDA for approval, which if approved, will open access to this medication to patients with lupus kidney disease. In the meantime, many participants that have completed the study will roll over into a 2-year extension, Dr. Gibson said.

This year's Spring Clinical Meetings are a Live-Virtual Meeting due to the COVID-19 outbreak. This necessary change will help ensure the safety of our patients, staff, volunteers and conference participants while still enabling NKF to provide the high-quality content SCM is known for in a new live-virtual format.

NKF Spring Clinical Meetings
For the past 28 years, nephrology healthcare professionals from across the country have come to NKF's Spring Clinical Meetings to learn about the newest developments related to all aspects of nephrology practice; network with colleagues; and present their research findings. The NKF Spring Clinical Meetings are designed for meaningful change in the multidisciplinary healthcare teams' skills, performance, and patient health outcomes. It is the only conference of its kind that focuses on translating science into practice for the entire healthcare team. This year's Spring Clinical Meetings will be a Live-Virtual Meeting due to the COVID-19 outbreak.

NKF Professional Membership
Healthcare professionals can join NKF to receive access to tools and resources for both patients and professionals, discounts on professional education, and access to a network of thousands of individuals who treat patients with kidney disease.

Kidney Disease Facts
In the United States, 37 million adults are estimated to have chronic kidney disease—and more than 90 percent aware of it. 1 in 3 American adults are at risk for chronic kidney disease. Risk factors for kidney disease include diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, obesity and family history. People of African American, Hispanic, Native American, Asian or Pacific Islander descent are at increased risk for developing the disease. African Americans are 3 times more likely than Whites, and Hispanics are nearly 1.5 times more likely than non-Hispanics to develop end-stage renal disease (kidney failure).

The National Kidney Foundation (NKF) is the largest, most comprehensive, and longstanding patient-centric organization dedicated to the awareness, prevention, and treatment of kidney disease in the U.S. For more information about NKF, visit www.kidney.org.

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SOURCE The National Kidney Foundation