Membranous NephropathyPhase 2ORIONNCT05050214
Obinutuzumab in Primary MN
A Phase 2 study testing Obinutuzumab in people with Membranous Nephropathy, run by Mario Negri Institute for Pharmacological Research at 2 sites in Italy.
Trial summary
Primary membranous nephropathy (MN) is an antibody-mediated autoimmune glomerular disease, that represents one of the most frequent causes of nephrotic syndrome in adults. The first-generation chimeric anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody rituximab is effective in inducing MN remission in the majority of patients, but a… Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 years and older
- Conditions the study is for
- Membranous Nephropathy
- What is being tested?
- Obinutuzumab
- Type of treatment
- Injection or infusion
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 20 participants
- Where
- 2 sitesItaly
- Study dates
- 18 Feb 2022to 20 Feb 2026
- Phase
- Phase 2
- Are there results?
- None posted in the registry
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 18 years and older
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- Adults (≥18 years old) on the day of signing informed consent.
- Biopsy-proven primary membranous nephropathy.
- Availability of a recent (over the last six months) diagnostic kidney biopsy to confirm the diagnosis of membranous nephropathy and quantify the severity of chronic changes and the number of glomerular podocytes.
- High-risk of progression to end-stage kidney disease due to persistent nephrotic-range proteinuria (urinary protein excretion > 3.5 g/24-hours as a median of three consecutive measurements) despite background treatment with RAS-inhibitors (ACEi and/or ARBs) at the maximum tolerated doses for at least six months before inclusion.
- Failure to definitively and effectively respond to rituximab therapy because of the following:
- RITUXIMAB-INTOLERANCE, i.e. any previous severe hypersensitivity reaction to rituximab (acute grade III or IV adverse reactions requiring advanced care, or late reactions including delayed serum sickness syndrome) that, independent of response to treatment, preclude further exposure to the drug; or
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- RITUXIMAB-RESISTANCE: no evidence of nephrotic syndrome complete remission (24-hour proteinuria < 0.3 g/day, normal serum albumin and stable renal function) or partial remission (24-hour proteinuria < 3.5 g/day with > 50% decrease from baseline, normal serum albumin and stable renal function) along with detectable circulating CD19+ lymphocytes for at least 6 months after rituximab administration or
- RITUXIMAB-DEPENDENCE: frequently-relapsing nephrotic syndrome (≥ 2 relapses) with nephrotic-range proteinuria for ≥ 50% of time in the 24 months preceding enrolment initial remission after rituximab administration
- Estimated GFR/eGFR) ≥30 mL/min/1.73 m2 (calculated using the CKD-EPI equation) or qualified endogenous creatinine clearance ≥30 mL/min/1.73 m2 based on 24-hour urine collection during screening.
- Ability to understand and provide a valid written consent to the study according to the guidelines of the Declaration of Helsinki.
- Compliance with an effective contraception without interruption, from 28 days before treatment start up to 18 months after treatment discontinuation, agreeing not to donate semen during treatment and for 18 months after discontinuation (if the patient is male), or to undergo pregnancy test during the course of the study (if the patient is female). (According to 2014 CTFG "Recommendations related to contraception and pregnancy testing in clinical trials").
Who cannot join
- Secondary forms of membranous nephropathy (associated with systemic lupus erythematosus, active hepatitis B, malignancy, drugs such as gold salts and penicillamine, and others).
- Rituximab treatment or any other prolonged (i.e. for more than two weeks) immunosuppressive treatment in the 6 months preceding anti-CD20 infusion.
- Uncontrolled hypertension (systolic BP ≥160 and/or diastolic BP >90 mmHg despite therapy).
- Active bacterial, viral and/or fungal infections.
- Seropositivity for HIV, regardless of viral load.
- Active or recent (< 5 years before enrolment) history of malignancy.
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- Known hypersensitivity or allergy to any of the medicaments under investigation.
- Any other serious medical condition, uncontrolled intercurrent illness or laboratory abnormality that, according to the investigator's judgement, would constitute an unacceptable risk of premature discontinuation from the study.
- Patients with previous hepatitis B virus infection (seropositive for anti-HBcAb), planning a vaccination with live virus vaccines
- Known history of drug induced liver injury, alcoholic liver disease, non-alcoholic steatohepatitis, primary biliary cirrhosis, ongoing extra-hepatic obstruction caused by cholelithiasis, cirrhosis of the liver or portal hypertension.
- Pregnancy or breast-feeding
- Childbearing potential and unwillingness or impossibility to comply with a scientifically acceptable birth-control method (According to 2014 CTFG "Recommendations related to contraception and pregnancy testing in clinical trials").
- Legal incapacity, limited legal capacity, intellectual disability, uncooperative attitude or any other evidence that the patient will not be able to understand the study aims and procedures.
Trial locations and contacts
2 sites in 1 country.
Italy2 sites
ASST HPG23 - Unità di Nefrologia
Bergamo, BG, 24100
Centro di Ricerche Cliniche per le Malattie Rare "Aldo e Cele Daccò"
Ranica, BG, 24020
About this study
Official title: Obinutuzumab for Primary Membranous Nephropathy: a Pilot Study in Patients With Rituximab-resistant or Rituximab-dependent Nephrotic Syndrome and in Patients Intolerant to Rituximab (the ORION Study)
Primary membranous nephropathy (MN) is an antibody-mediated autoimmune glomerular disease, that represents one of the most frequent causes of nephrotic syndrome in adults. The first-generation chimeric anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody rituximab is effective in inducing MN remission in the majority of patients, but a significant fraction of them can experience disease relapses that require multiple re-treatments over time. Repeated infusions may result in hypersensitivity reactions, which contraindicate further treatment with rituximab. Independent of previous treatment response, Rituximab-Intolerant patients require a safe and effective therapeutic alternative that could reduce the risk of hypersensitivity reactions. On the other end a substantial proportion of patients do not benefit of rituximab therapy and might benefit of other anti CD20 monoclonal antibodies. A few patients transiently benefit of rituximab but their relapses after rituximab administration are so frequent that they spend most of their live with nephrotic range proteinuria (rituximab-dependent patients). Obinutuzumab is a humanized monoclonal antibody with enhanced B cell-depleting potential. Due to humanization and glycoengineering, this drug may be safe and effective in inducing disease remission even in patients with prior hypersensitivity reactions to rituximab. Moreover, it has been found to be effective in patients with membranous nephropathy who failed to respond to rituximab.
- Conditions
- Membranous Nephropathy
- Being tested
- Obinutuzumab
- Keywords
- obinutuzumab, rituximab, membranous nephropathy, B cells, anti-PLA2R
- Medical subject headings
- Glomerulonephritis, Membranous
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
ObinutuzumabDrug
Also called GAZYVA, GAZYVARO
Each patient will be treated for 1 month and received a total of 3 doses. The first dose of Obinutuzumab (1000 mg) will be split in two separate infusions; on the first day each patient will receive 100 mg and the next day 900 mg of Obinutuzumab. Obinutuzumab (1000 mg) will be also administered at two and four weeks after the first infusion. Obinutuzumab will be administered after standard premedication.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Experimental: GAZYVA, GAZYVARO(Obinutuzumab) | Experimental | Participants will receive Obinutuzumab 1000 mg solution for infusion (total dose of 3000 mg in 30 days). Receives: Drug: Obinutuzumab |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Complete remission or partial remission of nephrotic syndrome.
Measured: Changes from baseline and 12 months from Obinutuzumab treatment .
Serious and non-serious adverse events
Measured: Through study completion, an average of 24 months.
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted20 Sep 2021
- Study start18 Feb 2022
- Primary completion20 Feb 2026
- Study completion20 Feb 2026
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Membranous NephropathyStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase 2
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Not applicable
- Intervention model
- Single group
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Enrolment
- 20 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Mario Negri Institute for Pharmacological Research
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- Roche Pharma AG
- Responsible party
- Sponsor
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT05050214
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- ORION
- Other IDs
- 2021-004864-81
- Acronym
- ORION
- Status last verified
- Oct 2026
- First submitted
- 9 Sep 2021
- Last updated
- 5 Oct 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 5 Oct 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Obinutuzumab for Primary Membranous Nephropathy: a Pilot Study in Patients With Rituximab-resistant or Rituximab-dependent Nephrotic Syndrome and in Patients Intolerant to Rituximab (the ORION Study)
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT05050214
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- ORION / ORION
- Conditions
- Membranous Nephropathy
- Keywords
- obinutuzumab, rituximab, membranous nephropathy, B cells, anti-PLA2R
- Phase
- Phase 2
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 20 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- Mario Negri Institute for Pharmacological ResearchUniversity, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- Roche Pharma AG
- Study start
- 18 Feb 2022 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 20 Feb 2026 (actual)
- Study completion
- 20 Feb 2026 (actual)
- First posted
- 20 Sep 2021 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
Primary membranous nephropathy (MN) is an antibody-mediated autoimmune glomerular disease, that represents one of the most frequent causes of nephrotic syndrome in adults. The first-generation chimeric anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody rituximab is effective in inducing MN remission in the majority of patients, but a significant fraction of them can experience disease relapses that require multiple re-treatments over time. Repeated infusions may result in hypersensitivity reactions, which contraindicate further treatment with rituximab. Independent of previous treatment response, Rituximab-Intolerant patients require a safe and effective therapeutic alternative that could reduce the risk of hypersensitivity reactions. On the other end a substantial proportion of patients do not benefit of rituximab therapy and might benefit of other anti CD20 monoclonal antibodies. A few patients transiently benefit of rituximab but their relapses after rituximab administration are so frequent that they spend most of their live with nephrotic range proteinuria (rituximab-dependent patients). Obinutuzumab is a humanized monoclonal antibody with enhanced B cell-depleting potential. Due to humanization and glycoengineering, this drug may be safe and effective in inducing disease remission even in patients with prior hypersensitivity reactions to rituximab. Moreover, it has been found to be effective in patients with membranous nephropathy who failed to respond to rituximab.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Not applicable
- Intervention model
- Single group
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Number of arms
- 1
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Experimental: GAZYVA, GAZYVARO(Obinutuzumab) | Experimental | Drug: ObinutuzumabParticipants will receive Obinutuzumab 1000 mg solution for infusion (total dose of 3000 mg in 30 days). |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 years and older
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (11 listed)
- Adults (≥18 years old) on the day of signing informed consent.
- Biopsy-proven primary membranous nephropathy.
- Availability of a recent (over the last six months) diagnostic kidney biopsy to confirm the diagnosis of membranous nephropathy and quantify the severity of chronic changes and the number of glomerular podocytes.
- High-risk of progression to end-stage kidney disease due to persistent nephrotic-range proteinuria (urinary protein excretion > 3.5 g/24-hours as a median of three consecutive measurements) despite background treatment with RAS-inhibitors (ACEi and/or ARBs) at the maximum tolerated doses for at least six months before inclusion.
- Failure to definitively and effectively respond to rituximab therapy because of the following:
Key exclusion criteria (13 listed)
- Secondary forms of membranous nephropathy (associated with systemic lupus erythematosus, active hepatitis B, malignancy, drugs such as gold salts and penicillamine, and others).
- Rituximab treatment or any other prolonged (i.e. for more than two weeks) immunosuppressive treatment in the 6 months preceding anti-CD20 infusion.
- Uncontrolled hypertension (systolic BP ≥160 and/or diastolic BP >90 mmHg despite therapy).
- Active bacterial, viral and/or fungal infections.
- Seropositivity for HIV, regardless of viral load.
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| ObinutuzumabAlso: GAZYVA, GAZYVAROEach patient will be treated for 1 month and received a total of 3 doses. The first dose of Obinutuzumab (1000 mg) will be split in two separate infusions; on the first day each patient will receive 100 mg and the next day 900 mg of Obinutuzumab. Obinutuzumab (1000 mg) will be also administered at two and four weeks after the first infusion. Obinutuzumab will be administered after standard premedication. | Drug | Experimental: GAZYVA, GAZYVARO(Obinutuzumab) |
Primary outcome
Complete remission or partial remission of nephrotic syndrome.
Time frame: Changes from baseline and 12 months from Obinutuzumab treatment .
Serious and non-serious adverse events
Time frame: Through study completion, an average of 24 months.
Results and safety
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 5 Oct 2026.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: No
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
The record lists no contact. Use the official record to reach the sponsor.
2 sites in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A Phase 2 study testing Obinutuzumab in people with Membranous Nephropathy, run by Mario Negri Institute for Pharmacological Research at 2 sites in Italy.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 11 inclusion and 13 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 5 Oct 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 2 sites in Italy. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
What does this phase mean?
Phase 2 studies give the treatment to a larger group to see whether it has the intended effect and to keep checking safety.
Not every study follows the same path, and some studies (observational studies, device studies) have no phase.
Are results available for this study?
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Complete remission or partial remission of nephrotic syndrome. (time frame: Changes from baseline and 12 months from Obinutuzumab treatment .). The study lists 2 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 5 Oct 2026.