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Here is a look at recent developments and headlines in nephrology.
FDA Grants Priority Review to Atacicept for IgAN
The FDA has granted Priority Review to Vera Therapeutics’ Biologics License Application (BLA) for atacicept to treat adults with IgA nephropathy (IgAN). Atacicept is a once-weekly, self-administered subcutaneous therapy that inhibits both B-cell activating factor (BAFF) and a proliferation-inducing ligand (APRIL), targeting upstream B-cell–mediated disease mechanisms.
The BLA, submitted under the Accelerated Approval Program, is supported by interim data from ORIGIN-3. That phase 3 trial showed that atacicept reduced proteinuria—measured by 24-hour urine protein-to-creatine ratio (UPCR)—by 46% from baseline, with a statistically significant 42% reduction in UPCR compared with placebo at 36 weeks.
If approved, atacicept would be the first dual BAFF/APRIL inhibitor for IgAN. The Prescription Drug User Fee Act target date is July 7, 2026.
Boehringer Ingelheim Taps Genomics and AI to Advance Kidney Drug Discovery
Boehringer Ingelheim has entered a kidney-focused research collaboration with genomics company Variant Bio, aimed at accelerating discovery of novel targets for kidney and cardiorenal disease. The partnership will apply Variant’s artificial intelligence (AI)–enabled Inference platform, which integrates genomic, deep phenotyping, and multiomic data from globally diverse populations, to identify and validate disease mechanisms that could inform future therapies. The deal comes weeks after Boehringer signed another kidney-focused collaboration with Rectify Pharmaceuticals to partner on a preclinical program.
These collaborations reflect the company’s expanding investment in chronic kidney disease (CKD) drug development. Boehringer already co-markets empagliflozin for CKD and is advancing additional kidney programs, including late-stage studies of the aldosterone synthase inhibitor vicadrostat.
CareDx and 10x Genomics Partner to Probe Transplant Rejection Biology
CareDx announced a strategic collaboration with 10x Genomics to launch ImmuneScape, a multiomics research initiative focused on improving biological understanding of transplant rejection and therapeutic response. The program will use 10x Genomics’ Xenium spatial and Chromium Flex single-cell platforms to generate high-resolution maps of immune mechanisms involved in antibody-mediated rejection and microvascular injury.
Data from ImmuneScape are intended to inform future clinical diagnostic development and advance personalized transplant medicine. The initiative builds on CareDx’s existing efforts in tissue-based molecular diagnostics, including its HistoMap Kidney classifier, by examining how spatial immune architecture and gene expression patterns correlate with disease mechanisms, treatment response, and clinical outcomes.
Pilot Program Uses Social Networks to Match Living Kidney Donors to Recipients
A pilot program at three Pennsylvania hospitals is testing whether trained volunteer “angel advocates” can expand access to living kidney donors by mobilizing social media beyond patients’ own networks.
Launched in May 2025, the program is supported by a foundation grant of more than $100,000 from the Gift of Life Donor Program, the regional organ procurement organization. The pilot program includes 15 patients, and early results include multiple identified donors and completed or planned transplants.
The initiative builds on the broader Angel Advocate/Great Social Experiment model, founded by Los Angeles filmmaker David Krissman, which harnesses storytelling and coordinated online outreach to increase living donor identification.
