Updated May 2026 · ClinicalTrials.gov

RECRUITINGPhase 2INTERVENTIONAL

Study of Efficacy and Safety of LNP023 in Participants With Active Lupus Nephritis Class III-IV, +/- V

An Adaptive, Randomized, Double-blind, Dose Exploration, Parallel Group, Placebo Controlled, Multicenter Phase 2 Trial to Evaluate the Efficacy, Safety and Tolerability of LNP023 in Combination With Standard-of-care With and Without Oral Corticosteroids in Patients With Active Lupus Nephritis Class III-IV, +/- V

Study of Efficacy and Safety of LNP023 in Participants With Active Lupus Nephritis Class III-IV, +/- V (NCT05268289) is a Phase 2 interventional studying Lupus Nephritis, sponsored by Novartis Pharmaceuticals. RECRUITING as of the most recent ClinicalTrials.gov update. Talk to your doctor before contacting the trial site.

About This Trial

The overall purpose of this two-part study is to evaluate the efficacy, safety and tolerability of iptacopan (LNP023) in addition to standard of care treatment.

What Stage of Research Is This?

Phase 2 trials evaluate whether a treatment actually works against Lupus Nephritis and continue monitoring side effects. Phase 2 enrolls larger groups (typically 100–300 patients) and produces the first real efficacy signal. A successful Phase 2 readout is what unlocks the much larger Phase 3 confirmatory trials needed for FDA approval.

This trial is currently recruiting participants. The sponsor has registered the study with ClinicalTrials.gov as actively enrolling, which means new applicants who meet the eligibility criteria can be considered for screening. Trial status can change between updates — confirm current recruiting status with the study contact before traveling for a screening visit.

Target enrollment of 240 participants puts this in the typical range for a Phase 2-style efficacy study or a moderate Phase 3 trial in a focused Lupus Nephritis subpopulation. At this scale, the study has enough statistical power to detect a clear treatment effect but is not the largest cohort in the field.

Who May Be Eligible (Plain English)

Who May Qualify: Unequivocally positive ANA test result and/or a positive anti dsDNA at screening Active biopsy-proven lupus nephritis within 3 months of screening demonstrating Class III or IV lupus nephritis with or without co-existing features of Class V lupus nephritis. Documentation of active renal disease at the time of screening necessitating the commencement of therapy with corticosteroids in combination with MMF/MPS. eGFR ≥ 30 ml/min/1.73 m2 Vaccination against Neisseria meningitidis and Streptococcus pneumoniae infections Vaccination against Haemophilus influenzae infection Supportive care including stable dose regimen of anti-malarials (e.g. hydroxychloroquine) unless contraindicated, ACEi or ARB at either locally approved maximal daily dose or the maximally tolerated dose (per investigators' judgement) at screening, as per the local clinical practice. Doses should remain stable throughout the study. First presentation or flare of lupus nephritis. Who Should NOT Join This Trial: Induction treatment with cyclophosphamide within 3 months of planned treatment for this study; treatment with calcineurin inhibitors within the previous 3 months prior to randomization. Presence of rapidly progressive glomerulonephritis (RPGN) as defined by 50% decline in eGFR within 3 months prior to screening. Renal biopsy presenting with interstitial fibrosis/tubular atrophy (IF/TA) or glomerulosclerosis of more than 50%, or which in the opinion of the investigator is such that it precludes likely response to immunosuppressive therapy. Participants being treated with systemic corticosteroids (\>5 mg/day prednisone or equivalent) for indications other than SLE or LN e.g. acute asthma, inflammatory bowel disease. ...See full criteria on ClinicalTrials.gov Always talk to your doctor about whether this trial is right for you.

These are translations of the protocol\'s inclusion and exclusion criteria, simplified for patients and caregivers. The original clinical text appears below. Eligibility is ultimately confirmed by the trial site\'s screening process — this summary is a starting point for a conversation with your doctor, not a final determination.

Original Eligibility Criteria

View original clinical language

Inclusion Criteria: Unequivocally positive ANA test result and/or a positive anti dsDNA at screening Active biopsy-proven lupus nephritis within 3 months of screening demonstrating Class III or IV lupus nephritis with or without co-existing features of Class V lupus nephritis. Documentation of active renal disease at the time of screening necessitating the commencement of therapy with corticosteroids in combination with MMF/MPS. eGFR ≥ 30 ml/min/1.73 m2 Vaccination against Neisseria meningitidis and Streptococcus pneumoniae infections Vaccination against Haemophilus influenzae infection Supportive care including stable dose regimen of anti-malarials (e.g. hydroxychloroquine) unless contraindicated, ACEi or ARB at either locally approved maximal daily dose or the maximally tolerated dose (per investigators' judgement) at screening, as per the local clinical practice. Doses should remain stable throughout the study. First presentation or flare of lupus nephritis. Exclusion Criteria: Induction treatment with cyclophosphamide within 3 months of planned treatment for this study; treatment with calcineurin inhibitors within the previous 3 months prior to randomization. Presence of rapidly progressive glomerulonephritis (RPGN) as defined by 50% decline in eGFR within 3 months prior to screening. Renal biopsy presenting with interstitial fibrosis/tubular atrophy (IF/TA) or glomerulosclerosis of more than 50%, or which in the opinion of the investigator is such that it precludes likely response to immunosuppressive therapy. Participants being treated with systemic corticosteroids (\>5 mg/day prednisone or equivalent) for indications other than SLE or LN e.g. acute asthma, inflammatory bowel disease. Participants being treated with systemic corticosteroids for SLE or LN will be excluded if they have taken more than an average of 15 mg/day prednisone (or equivalent) in the previous 4 weeks and more than an average of 30 mg/day in the previous 1 week Receipt of more than a total dose of 1000 mg equivalent i.v. pulse methylprednisolone (cumulative dose) within 2 weeks prior to enrollment (and at enrollment) Other protocol-defined inclusion/exclusion criteria may apply

Treatments Being Tested

DRUG

Iptacopan (part 1)

Taken for 52 Weeks

DRUG

Iptacopan (part 2)

Taken for 52 Weeks

DRUG

Placebo + standard of care

Taken for 52 Weeks

DRUG

Iptacopan + placebo

Taken for 52 Weeks

Locations (20)

Trial sites listed on ClinicalTrials.gov for this study. Site activation status can vary — confirm with the specific site before traveling for a screening visit.

AKDHC Medical Research ServicesLLC

Phoenix, Arizona, United States

Kaiser Permanente Fontana

Fontana, California, United States

Univ Calif Irvine

Irvine, California, United States

Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center

Los Angeles, California, United States

Loma Linda University

San Bernardino, California, United States

Olive View UCLA Medical Center

Sylmar, California, United States

University of Colorado Denver

Aurora, Colorado, United States

Royal Research Corp

Hollywood, Florida, United States

Mayo Clinic Jacksonville

Jacksonville, Florida, United States

Nephrology Associates Of Central FL

Orlando, Florida, United States

Florida Kidney Physicians

Riverview, Florida, United States

Florida Kidney Physicians

Riverview, Florida, United States

Nep Assoc of Northern Illinois

Hinsdale, Illinois, United States

Wichita Community Clcl Onco Program

Wichita, Kansas, United States

Ochsner Health System

New Orleans, Louisiana, United States

Johns Hopkins Hospital

Baltimore, Maryland, United States

Brigham and Womens Hosp Harvard Med School

Boston, Massachusetts, United States

Mayo Clinic Rochester

Rochester, Minnesota, United States

University of Nebraska Medical Center

Omaha, Nebraska, United States

Stony Brook Internists PC

East Setauket, New York, United States

How to Talk to Your Doctor About This Trial

Bring the printable summary of this trial — including the NCT ID (NCT05268289), the sponsor (Novartis Pharmaceuticals), and the key eligibility criteria — to your next appointment. Your doctor can review the inclusion and exclusion criteria against your medical history, lab values, and current treatments to assess whether you are likely to qualify. They can also help you weigh whether trial participation makes sense alongside your existing care plan.

Useful questions to walk through together: What does the trial protocol require beyond standard care? How long is the active treatment phase, and how long is follow-up? Are there study visits at sites I can reach? Who pays for the trial-specific procedures, and who pays for standard-of-care portions? See our 25 questions to ask about clinical trials guide for a more complete checklist.

Authoritative Sources

The official record for this trial lives on ClinicalTrials.gov — the federal registry maintained by the National Library of Medicine at NIH. For background on how this trial fits into the FDA approval pathway, see the FDA drug approval process. For oncology-specific guidance for patients considering trials, the National Cancer Institute publishes patient-oriented overviews. International trial registries are aggregated by the WHO ICTRP.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the NCT05268289 clinical trial studying?

The overall purpose of this two-part study is to evaluate the efficacy, safety and tolerability of iptacopan (LNP023) in addition to standard of care treatment. The full protocol is registered on ClinicalTrials.gov and includes the primary outcome measures, eligibility criteria, and study endpoints.

Who can participate in NCT05268289?

Eligibility for this trial depends on the specific inclusion and exclusion criteria set by the sponsor. The plain-English summary above translates the most important criteria into accessible language; the official clinical text is preserved in the collapsible section underneath. Whether you fit any specific trial is a medical decision your doctor needs to confirm — bring the trial information to your treating physician for a full review against your medical history.

How do I contact the trial site for NCT05268289?

Contact information registered with ClinicalTrials.gov is shown in the sidebar of this page. Before reaching out, confirm with your treating physician that this trial is appropriate for your situation. The trial site will then walk you through the screening process to determine final eligibility.

Is participating in a clinical trial safe?

Clinical trials in the United States are regulated by the FDA and overseen by Institutional Review Boards (IRBs) that review the protocol for safety. Risk varies by trial — Phase 1 studies test new treatments in humans for the first time, while Phase 3 trials use treatments that have already passed earlier safety screening. The informed consent document for any specific trial details the known risks and what to expect. Discuss those risks with your physician before deciding whether to participate.

Where can I verify the data on this page?

Every detail on this page comes directly from the ClinicalTrials.gov API. Click "View on ClinicalTrials.gov" in the sidebar to see the official, unmodified record. The federal record is always authoritative; this page is a structured presentation with a plain-English eligibility translation. For background on how clinical trials are regulated, see the FDA drug approval process documentation.

How This Page Is Built

Every field on this page is pulled directly from the ClinicalTrials.gov API v2 — no estimates, no proxies. The plain-English eligibility translation is generated from the original protocol text and reviewed for fidelity to the underlying clinical criteria. The original clinical text remains visible in the collapsible section above so users and clinicians can verify the translation. Read the full methodology for the data pipeline and known limitations.

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov API v2 record for NCT05268289. Maintained by the National Library of Medicine at NIH. Public domain. Cite as: "TrialFinderData. NCT05268289. Data: ClinicalTrials.gov."

Medical disclaimer: This page is informational, not medical advice. Talk to your doctor about whether a clinical trial is right for you.

Last updated 2026-05-08 · Data from ClinicalTrials.gov.