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CompletedNCT05810948Updated Dec 18, 2025

A Study to Assess Effectiveness and Safety of Efgartigimod in Chinese Patients With Lupus Nephritis (ZL-1103-013)

A Phase 2 interventional study of efgartigimod IV and Placebo in Lupus Nephritis, sponsored by argenx. Completed at 31 sites in China. Open to participants aged 18 Years and older. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2025-12-18.

Sponsored by argenx · Phase 2, Interventional, and Treatment

Phase
Phase 2
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
73
Allocation
Randomized
Ages
18 Years and older
Sex
All
01

Study summary

The purpose of the study is to evaluate the efficacy and safety of efgartigimod IV in Chinese patients with active lupus nephritis (LN). The study comprises an approximate 4-week screening period, a 24-week treatment period, and an 8-week follow- up period.

02

Conditions studied

  • Lupus Nephritis

Keywords

  • Nephritis
  • Lupus Nephritis
  • Kidney Disease
  • Urologic Disease
  • Glomerulonephritis
03

In context

Lupus Nephritis

331 studies on the registry are indexed under Lupus Nephritis; 131 are open to participants now.

This study's enrollment of 73 is above the median of 48 across 231 interventional studies indexed under Lupus Nephritis.

Browse Lupus Nephritis studies →

Lead sponsor

argenx is the lead sponsor of 87 studies on the registry; 33 are open to participants now.

Of its 22 completed or terminated interventional studies of FDA-regulated products, 16 (73%) have results posted.

Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.

04

Who can participate

Ages eligible
18 Years and older
Sexes eligible
All
Accepts healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

  • Aged ≥18 years when signing the informed consent form (ICF)
  • Capable of providing signed informed consent, and complying with protocol requirements
  • Diagnosis of SLE according to the Systemic Lupus Erythematosus International Collaborating Clinic (SLICC) 2012 classification criteria
  • Active, proliferative LN Class III or IV [excluding Class III (C), IV-S (C), and IV-G (C)], either with or without the presence of Class V using the 2003 International Society of Nephrology (ISN)/Renal Pathology Society (RPS) criteria, proven by kidney biopsy within 6 months before randomization and confirmed by the central biopsy reading group
  • Require LN induction therapy (glucocorticoids and MMF/MPA) based on investigator's clinical judgment. Induction therapy may begin before screening but should be initiated within 60 days before randomization
  • Agree to use contraceptives consistent with local regulations. Full inclusion criteria can be found in the protocol

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Active or chronic infection requiring treatment
  • Any evidence of central nervous system lupus (including but not limited to seizures, psychosis, organic brain syndrome, cerebrovascular accident, cerebritis, or CNS vasculitis)
  • Currently on renal dialysis or expected to require dialysis during study period
  • Previous kidney transplantation or planned transplantation during study period
  • History of malignancy unless deemed cured by adequate treatment with no evidence of recurrence for ≥3 years before randomization. The following cancers are not exclusionary: basal cell or squamous cell skin cancer; carcinoma in situ of the cervix; carcinoma in situ of the breast; incidental histological finding of prostate cancer
  • Heart failure due to Systemic Lupus Erythematodes, or any other severe cardiovascular involvement with safety concerns according to investigator's judgment
  • Any other known autoimmune disease that would interfere with an accurate assessment of clinical symptoms of SLE/LN or put the participant at undue risk
  • Previously failed treatment with MMF or any form of mycophenolate-based induction therapy, based on the investigator's opinion
  • Use of complementary therapies, including Traditional Chinese Medicine, herbs, or procedure (eg, acupuncture) that can potentially interfere with the efficacy and safety of participants as assessed by the investigator
  • SARS-CoV-2 antigen-based positive test at screening. The test is required regardless of whether the participant has been vaccinated
  • Known hypersensitivity or contraindication to efgartigimod, any excipient of the IMP, or SoC medication used in the study
  • In the opinion of the investigator, current or history of (ie, within 12 months of randomization) alcohol, drug, or medication abuse
  • Pregnant or lactating females and those who intend to become pregnant during study participation
  • Any conditions or circumstances that in the opinion of the investigator may make the participant unsuitable for the study

The full list of criteria can be found in the protocol.

05

Study design

Phase
Phase 2
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Randomized
Intervention model
Parallel assignment
Masking
Quadruple (Participant, Care provider, Investigator, Outcomes assessor)
Enrollment
73 participants (actual)

Study arms

  • Experimental
    efgartigimod IV

    Patients receiving intravenous (IV) infusions of efgartigimod

    Biological: efgartigimod IV

  • Placebo comparator
    Placebo

    Patients receiving intravenous (IV) infusions of placebo

    Other: Placebo

Interventions

  • Biologicalefgartigimod IV

    Intravenous (IV) infusion of efgartigimod

  • OtherPlacebo

    Intravenous (IV) infusion of placebo

06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Change from baseline to week 24 in urine protein creatinine ratio (UPCR)

    Time frame: up to 24 weeks

Secondary outcomes

  1. Proportion of participants achieving complete renal response (CRR) at week 24

    Time frame: up to 24 weeks

  2. Time to complete renal response (CRR)

    Time frame: up to 32 weeks

  3. Proportion of participants achieving partial renal response at week 24

    Time frame: up to 24 weeks

  4. Time to partial renal response (PRR)

    Time frame: up to 24 weeks

  5. Change from baseline to week 24 in estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR)

    Time frame: up to 24 weeks

  6. Change from baseline to week 24 in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Disease Activity Index (SLEDAI)-2K score

    Time frame: up to 24 weeks

  7. Change from baseline to week 24 in the dosage of glucocorticoids

    Time frame: up to 24 weeks

  8. Treatment failure rate during treatment period

    Time frame: up to 24 weeks

  9. Proportion of participants achieving modified complete renal response (mCRR) at week 24

    Time frame: up to 24 weeks

  10. Efgartigimod serum concentration-time profile

    Time frame: up to 32 weeks

  11. Changes from baseline in levels of total IgG

    Time frame: up to 32 weeks

  12. Incidence of ADA against efgartigimod

    Time frame: up to 32 weeks

  13. Median changes in concentration from baseline over time in biomarkers (Anti-dsDNA, C3, C4 and CH50)

    (all have the same measuring units)

    Time frame: up to 32 weeks

  14. Change from baseline to week 24 in EuroQoL 5-Dimension 5-Level (EQ-5D-5L) score

    Time frame: Up to 24 weeks

07

Study locations

31 sites
  • Peking University Third Hospital
    Beijing, 100191, China
  • Peking University People's Hospital
    Beijing, China
  • Hunan Provincial People's Hospital
    Changsha, China
  • The Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University
    Chongqing, China
  • Fujian Medical University Union Hospital
    Fujian, China
  • Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital
    Guangzhou, China
  • Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University
    Guangzhou, China
  • The First Affiliated Hospital,Sun Yat-sen University
    Guanzhou, China
  • The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University
    Hangzhou, China
  • First Affiliated Hospital of University of South China
    Hengyang, China
  • The Affiliated Huaian No.1 People's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University
    Huainan, China
  • Jieyang People's Hospital
    Jieyang, 522091, China
  • Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University
    Jinan, China
  • Affiliated Hospital of Jining Medical University
    Jining, China
  • Liu Zhou Works Hospital
    Liuzhou, China
  • Jiangxi Provincial People's Hospital
    Nanchang, 330006, China
  • The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University
    Nanchang, China
  • Jiangsu Province Hospital
    Nanjing, China
  • Zhongda Hospital Southeast University
    Nanjing, China
  • The People's Hospital of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region
    Nanning, China
  • Huashan Hospital Fudan University
    Shanghai, China
  • ShengJing Hospital of China Medical University
    Shenyang, China
  • Shenzhen People's Hospital
    Shenzhen, China
  • The First Hospital of Hebei Medical University
    Shijia Zhuang, China
  • The Second Hospital of Tianjin Medical University
    Tianjin, China
  • Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University
    Wuhan, China
  • Wuxi People's Hospital
    Wuxi, China
  • Shaanxi Provincial Hospital of Chinese Medicine
    Xi'an, China
  • The First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University
    Xiamen, China
  • The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University
    Zhengzhou, 310058, China
  • Henan Provincial People's Hospital
    Zhengzhou, China
08

References and documents

Individual participant data

Plan to share: Undecided

No publications or documents are linked to this record.

09

Updates

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on Dec 18, 2025, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
10

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT05810948
Lead sponsor
argenx
Collaborators
Zai Lab (Shanghai) Co., Ltd.
Responsible party
Sponsor
First posted
Apr 13, 2023
Start date
Feb 21, 2023
Primary completion
Jul 2, 2025
Completion
Sep 1, 2025
Last update
Dec 18, 2025

Oversight

Data monitoring committee
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

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