Could a new drug replace steroids for lupus kidney patients?

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion Criteria: * Children aged 14-17 years old and adults; * Active lupus nephritis, as defined by kidney biopsy within the preceding 8 weeks, assessed by the International Society of Nephrology/Renal Pathology Society (ISN/RPS) classification: class III or IV (A or A/C) ± V with active lesions in at least 10% of the viable glomeruli; * Urine protein-to-creatinine ratio (uPCR) ≥ 0.5 g/g at any time in the 14 days before inclusion; * No contraindications to the use of IV methylprednisolone, MMF, oral corticosteroids or obinutuzumab; * Ability to provide informed consent; * Willingness to use appropriate contraception, as recommended when using MMF. Exclusion Criteria: * Severe "critical" SLE flare defined as any SLE manifestation requiring more immunosuppression than allowed in the protocol, in the physician's opinion; * Patients who cannot be prescribed 10 mg prednisone corticosteroids "only", after inclusion according to the physician's opinion; * Pregnant and breastfeeding woman; * Prior use within 6 months of inclusion of therapeutic monoclonal antibody and/or B- or T cell modulating 'biologic' except belimumab that can be used up to 7 days before inclusion; * Obsolescence of \>60% of the glomeruli or tubulointerstitial scarring of \>60%; * CKD stage 4 or stage 5 defined as eGFR \<30 ml/min/1.73 m2 according to CKD-EPI (to be differentiated from acute renal injury); * Active infections, including but not limited to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), hepatitis B in the absence of a specific therapy, hepatitis C or tuberculosis; * Receipt of a live-attenuated vaccine in the 4 weeks prior to study enrolment; * History of cervical dysplasia CIN Grade III, cervical high-risk human papillomavirus or abnormal cervical cytology other than abnormal squamous cells of undetermined significance (ASCUS) in the past 3 years in female patients. However, the patient will be eligible in the following conditions: follow-up HPV test is negative or cervical abnormality was effectively treated \>1 year ago.