A phase 3 trial shows telitacicept dramatically cuts proteinuria in IgA nephropathy patients. The drug reduced urinary protein levels by nearly 59% compared to just 8.8% with placebo — a striking difference. Experts say this class of BAFF/APRIL-targeting agents could soon become the standard of care for this chronic autoimmune kidney disease.
A new treatment is making waves in kidney disease care. Interim results from the phase 3 TELIGAN trial, published in The New England Journal of Medicine, show that telitacicept — a fusion protein targeting two immune pathways (BAFF and APRIL) — significantly reduced proteinuria in patients with IgA nephropathy, a leading cause of kidney failure. The trial enrolled 318 adults in China who were randomized to receive weekly subcutaneous telitacicept or placebo.
The results were hard to ignore. Telitacicept cut urinary protein levels by nearly 59%, versus just 8.8% with placebo. Fewer patients on the drug also experienced significant kidney function decline. While treatment-related side effects were more common with telitacicept — mostly injection-site reactions and upper respiratory infections — no serious treatment-related adverse events occurred in that group.
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Why it matters: About 20% of IgA nephropathy patients progress to end-stage kidney disease over 10–20 years. With a surge of BAFF/APRIL-targeting therapies showing strong results, experts believe this drug class is poised to redefine the standard of care for a disease that has long lacked effective options.
