Obinutuzumab for treating childhood onset idiopathic nephrotic syndrome

Obinutuzumab is being developed for the treatment of childhood onset idiopathic nephrotic syndrome. In nephrotic syndrome, there is a problem affecting the sieve mechanism of the kidney. The holes of the sieve enlarge, causing large amounts of protein to leak from the blood into the urine. Research shows that people with nephrotic syndrome often have differences in certain immune cells called B cells, which help fight infections. Although nephrotic syndrome can affect people of any age, it is usually first diagnosed in children aged between one and six years old. Idiopathic is a medical term that describes a condition with an unknown cause. There are currently limited treatment options for patients with childhood onset idiopathic nephrotic syndrome, and current therapies often fail to stop the condition from returning.