Federal Grant Award Summary

Brigham and Women's Hospital Inc. received a $364,560 Project Grant from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) under the Diabetes, Digestive, and Kidney Diseases Extramural Research program (CFDA 93.847), with an award date of March 1, 2026 and completion date of December 31, 2028. This pilot and feasibility randomized controlled trial investigates the safety, tolerability, and efficacy of dapagliflozin, a sodium-glucose co-transporter-2 inhibitor (SGLT2i), in patients with early and active lupus nephritis. The research addresses a critical gap in clinical evidence, as patients with lupus nephritis were largely excluded from previous SGLT2i randomized trials and remain outside current FDA indications, despite observational data suggesting potential benefits for kidney and cardiovascular outcomes through mechanisms that reduce proteinuria, lower blood pressure, and improve metabolic parameters.

The grant supports planning, design, and foundational work necessary to enable a subsequent large, multicenter randomized controlled trial examining SGLT2i efficacy in this immunosuppressed patient population. This research targets lupus nephritis, a chronic autoimmune glomerulonephritis that carries a 10-30% risk of end-stage kidney disease and requires aggressive early intervention within a critical treatment window to prevent irreversible kidney damage. Successful completion of this pilot trial will provide essential safety and feasibility data to support the development of future pivotal studies evaluating SGLT2i as an adjunctive therapeutic option for patients with active lupus nephritis receiving standard immunosuppressive regimens.