New combo therapy aims to tame kidney disease

NCT ID NCT03949855

Recruiting now Disease control Sponsor: National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jul 22, 2026 · Updated 2 times

Summary

This Phase 2 trial tests whether adding belimumab to standard rituximab treatment helps more people with primary membranous nephropathy achieve remission. The study enrolls 58 adults with confirmed disease. Belimumab targets new immune cells, while rituximab depletes existing ones, aiming to reduce kidney damage.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only — not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance: belimumab (Benlysta) and rituximab
What this could lead to: If successful, this combination could offer a more effective treatment for membranous nephropathy, potentially leading to longer-lasting remission with fewer side effects.
What could go wrong: This is a small Phase 2 trial, so results may not apply to all patients. Neither drug is FDA-approved for this condition, and combining them may increase infection risk or other side effects.

This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

idiopathic membranous glomerulonephritis membranous glomerulonephritis nephrotic syndrome

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

MEMBRANOUS NEPHROPATHY NEPHROTIC SYNDROME

Contacts and locations

Locations

Cleveland Clinic
RECRUITING

Cleveland, Ohio, 44195, United States
Columbia University Medical Center: Division of Nephrology
RECRUITING

New York, New York, 10032, United States
Johns Hopkins
RECRUITING

Baltimore, Maryland, 21287, United States
Mayo Clinic Jacksonville: Department of Nephrology and Hypertension
RECRUITING

Jacksonville, Florida, 32224, United States
National Institutes of Health Clinical Center
RECRUITING

Bethesda, Maryland, 20892, United States
Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center: Division of Nephrology
RECRUITING

Columbus, Ohio, 43210, United States
Providence Medical Research Center, Providence Health Care: Nephrology
RECRUITING

Spokane, Washington, 99204, United States
Stanford University School of Medicine: Division of Nephrology
RECRUITING

Stanford, California, 94305, United States
The Lundquist Institute for Biomedical Innovation at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center:Division of Nephrology and Hypertension
RECRUITING

Torrance, California, 90502, United States
University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Medicine: Division of Nephrology
RECRUITING

Birmingham, Alabama, 35294, United States
University of Arkansas
RECRUITING

Little Rock, Arkansas, 72205, United States
University of California San Francisco
RECRUITING

San Francisco, California, 94146, United States
University of Colorado
RECRUITING

Aurora, Colorado, 80045, United States
University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Div of Nephrology
RECRUITING

Miami, Florida, 33136, United States
University of Michigan
RECRUITING

Ann Arbor, Michigan, 48104, United States
University of Minnesota Health Clinical Research Unit
RECRUITING

Minneapolis, Minnesota, 55455, United States
University of Nebraska
RECRUITING

Omaha, Nebraska, 68198, United States
University of North Carolina School of Medicine: Division of Nephrology and Hypertension, Kidney Center
RECRUITING

Chapel Hill, North Carolina, 27599-, United States
University of Pennsylvania: Department of Medicine: Renal-Electrolyte and Hypertension Division
RECRUITING

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19104, United States
Washington University in St. Louis
RECRUITING

St Louis, Missouri, 63110, United States

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