(New York, NY – May 19, 2026) – The National Kidney Foundation (NKF) today announced two new complementary publications to support more effective care for individuals living with Immunoglobulin A Nephropathy (IgAN), which can lead to chronic kidney disease (CKD) and kidney failure. The clinical commentary outlines potentially transformative changes in the treatment of IgAN and will be accompanied by an insightful perspective from people living with the condition.
The commentary, developed by the Kidney Disease Outcomes Quality Initiative (KDOQI), provides U.S.-focused insights on the 2025 clinical practice guideline issued by Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO). It emphasizes a shift toward earlier diagnosis, personalized risk stratification, and use of emerging immune-targeted therapies against the mechanisms of disease, while also addressing the generic downstream response to IgAN-induced nephron loss, to improve outcomes.
“Complementing the clinical perspective are the voices of people who live with IgAN who bring their insights about important priorities for patients, including better access to clinical trials and areas they would like to see further investigated in the future,” said Kelli Damron, Director of Patient Engagement at NKF.
A New Era in IgAN Targeted Treatment
IgAN is one of the most common causes of CKD worldwide, yet its course varies among patients and requires tailored treatment regimens. The new guidance underscores that low levels of proteinuria, once considered benign, can signal significant long-term risk to kidney function. Kidney biopsy remains essential for diagnosis, with new recommendations supporting evaluation at lower levels of proteinuria to enable earlier intervention.
“With these new guidelines, clinicians are encouraged to use validated prediction tools that combine clinical and biopsy data to estimate a patient’s risk of disease progression and guide shared decision-making,” added Kerry Willis PhD, Chief Scientific Officer of National Kidney Foundation.
A growing number of therapies now target the underlying mechanisms of IgAN, including drugs that reduce harmful IgA production and agents that protect kidney function. Hence, the guidance also highlights the importance of simultaneously addressing disease drivers and the impact of kidney damage often with multiple agents. The goal of treatment is to slow kidney function decline to near-normal rates and maintain low levels of proteinuria over a patient’s lifetime. The two new commentaries underscore the potential of targeted therapies to transform disease prognosis in many individuals.
“This is a pivotal moment in IgAN care,” said Isabelle Ayoub, MD, at Ohio State University, lead author on the Commentary. “We have the tools to identify high-risk patients earlier and now newer therapeutic agents with which to intervene more effectively to prevent CKD progression and prevent kidney failure.”
Challenges Ahead
While therapeutic options are expanding rapidly, the commentary acknowledges practical barriers, including cost, access to medications, and uncertainty about optimal treatment combinations and duration. The updated recommendations mark a shift in the available options for individualized care. Patients may benefit from earlier diagnosis, more precise risk assessment, and access to therapies that can alter disease progression.
Looking Forward
With multiple new drugs approved or in development, the Commentary authors describe the current moment as an exciting era in nephrology. “The current pace of innovation in this field is remarkable,” said Timothy Yau, MD, at Washington University. “With ongoing clinical trials and emerging therapies, we anticipate even more precise and effective treatment strategies in the future.” In conclusion, ongoing research will be critical in further refining our understanding of the optimal use of new treatment strategies to improve outcomes in IgA-mediated CKD. People living with IgA nephropathy are motivated to hear about and consider participation in trials of new therapies.
About Kidney Disease
In the United States, CKD remains an under-recognized public health burden that impacts 1 in 7 adults, and 90 percent of those affected are unaware of their condition. Approximately 1 in 3 U.S. adults are at risk for CKD, but less than 20% are assessed with guideline-recommended testing, eGFR and uACR. Risk factors for kidney disease include diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, obesity, and family history. People of Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, American Indian or Alaska Native, Asian American, or Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander descent are at increased risk for developing the disease. Black or African American people are about four times as likely as White people to develop kidney failure. Hispanic and Native American people experience kidney failure at approximately double the rate of White people.
About the National Kidney Foundation
The National Kidney Foundation is revolutionizing the fight to save lives by eliminating preventable kidney disease, accelerating innovation for the dignity of the patient experience, and dismantling structural inequities in kidney care, dialysis, and transplantation. For more information about NKF, visit www.kidney.org.
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Sam Tyler
National Kidney Foundation
Director of Professional and Scientific Communications
Phone: 202-279-1505
Email: sam.tyler@kidney.org