BASEL (dpa-AFX) - Novartis (NVS) announced that the US Food and Drug Administration has granted accelerated approval for Vanrafia or atrasentan, a potent and selective endothelin A (ETA) receptor antagonist, for the reduction of proteinuria in adults with primary immunoglobulin A nephropathy or IgAN at risk of rapid disease progression.
Vanrafia is a once-daily, non-steroidal, oral treatment that can be added onto supportive care, including a renin-angiotensin system (RAS) inhibitor with or without a sodium-glucose co-transporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitor.
Vanrafia was granted accelerated approval based on a prespecified interim analysis of the Phase III ALIGN study measuring the reduction of proteinuria at 36 weeks compared to placebo. It has not been established whether Vanrafia slows kidney function decline in patients with IgAN.
The company noted that the continued approval of Vanrafia may be contingent upon the verification of clinical benefit from the ongoing Phase III ALIGN study evaluating whether Vanrafia slows disease progression as measured by estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) decline at week 136. The eGFR data are expected in 2026 and intended to support traditional FDA approval.
immunoglobulin A nephropathy is a progressive, rare kidney disease; up to 50% of patients with persistent proteinuria progress to kidney failure within 10 to 20 years of diagnosis.
This is the third US approval received by Novartis for its kidney disease portfolio in the last year, with Fabhalta having been granted FDA approval in C3 glomerulopathy (C3G) in March 2025 and accelerated approval in IgAN in August 2024.
Fabhalta is also being studied in a broad range of rare kidney diseases, including atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome (aHUS), immune complex membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis (IC-MPGN) and lupus nephritis (LN). Studies are ongoing to evaluate the safety and efficacy profiles in these investigational indications and support potential regulatory submissions.
An investigational subcutaneously administered anti-APRIL monoclonal antibody, zigakibart, is currently in Phase III development in IgAN, with results expected in 2026.
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