Disease × agent evidence record

Paricalcitol for Chronic Kidney Disease: evidence, trials and status

Paricalcitol has both completed registered trials and synthesis-level publications linked to Chronic Kidney Disease. That is the strongest profile in this database, but the summaries here do not extract effect sizes, so read the linked reviews for direction and magnitude of benefit.

8 registered trials 0 recruiting 15 publications Evidence tier A · Strong Score 78.0
Research Tracker › Pairs › Chronic Kidney Disease › Paricalcitol
Research map, not treatment advice. This page aggregates registry and literature records. It does not evaluate efficacy, dosing or safety for any individual. Discuss any treatment decision with a qualified clinician.

Summary

Paricalcitol has reached the approved stage (maximum clinical phase 4) for at least one indication, so its use in Chronic Kidney Disease would be drug repurposing rather than first-in-human development. This does not mean it is approved for Chronic Kidney Disease. ClinicalTrials.gov lists 8 registered trials linking Paricalcitol to Chronic Kidney Disease: 8 have completed. The most advanced is Phase 4 (NCT01506947). The largest enrolment is 265 participants (NCT01368042). Registration activity spans 2006 to 2012. The literature layer holds 15 publications for this pair: 5 Cochrane reviews, 5 meta-analyses and 5 clinical trial publications. Publication years run from 2018 to 2026. Because at least one synthesis-level source exists (systematic review, meta-analysis or Cochrane review), this pair has been assessed beyond single studies, although the synthesis may concern a different indication.

The RepurpOS disease-intelligence file for Chronic Kidney Disease ranks 534 candidate therapeutics from Open Targets, ChEMBL, DGIdb and PubMed; only a minority carry direct clinical evidence, and this page covers one of those. Spontaneous remission context recorded for the condition: GFR decline averages 2-5 mL/min/year on standard care (ACE/ARB + blood pressure control); progression to end-stage renal disease (ESRD) in ~20-30% at 10 years for moderate CKD; reversal essentially impossible once structural fibrosis established.

Open in Repurposing ExplorerChronic Kidney Disease hubChronic Kidney Disease biomarkers & interventionsChEMBLOpen Targets

Evidence table

Evidence tierA · Strong
Evidence score78.0 (trials 28.0, literature 30.0, tier 15, approved bonus 5.0)
Registered trials8 total: 0 recruiting, 0 active / not yet recruiting, 8 completed, 0 other
Linked publications15 (5 Cochrane reviews, 5 meta-analyses, 5 clinical trial publications)
Agent typeDrug (Small molecule)
Development stage (any indication)Approved
Mechanism / classNot recorded
Data sourcesOpen Targets, ChEMBL
How the evidence score is calculated
  • Each registered trial scores by status (recruiting / active / enrolling 3, completed 2.5, not yet recruiting 2, unknown 1, terminated / withdrawn / suspended 0.5) plus a phase bonus (phase 3-4 +2, phase 2 +1, phase 1 +0.5). The trial component is capped at 30.
  • Each literature item scores by design (Cochrane review 5, meta-analysis 4, systematic review 3, RCT 3, clinical trial publication 2, curated reference 1.5, other PubMed record 1). The literature component is capped at 30.
  • The existing evidence tier adds 15 (A / Strong), 10 (B / Moderate), 5 (C / Preliminary) or 0 (D / Anecdotal).
  • Agents approved for any indication (max clinical phase 4) add 5, because an approved agent has an established safety profile that lowers the barrier to repurposing trials.
  • The score ranks what has been studied, not what works. It does not read effect sizes or directions of effect.

Registered clinical trials

NCT IDTitleStatusPhaseEnrolment
NCT00257920A Study of Zemplar® Injection and Hectorol® Injection on Intestinal Absorption of Calcium in Chronic Kidney Disease
2006
completedPhase 441
NCT00752102Vitamin D and Coronary Calcification Study
2008
completedPhase 444
NCT01506947A Pilot Clinical Study Evaluating the Effect of Parathyroid Hormone (PTH) Lowering On Erythropoietin Consumption in Calcitriol-Resistant Patients
2012
completedPhase 465
NCT01136564Reno- and Vascular Protective Effect of a Vitamin-D-analogue in Moderate to Severe Chronic Kidney Disease
2010
completedPhase 230
NCT00701805Long-term Safety Study of Paricalcitol Injection in Chronic Kidney Disease Patients With Hemodialysis (HD)
2008
completedPhase 2107
NCT01368042Quality of Life in Greek Hemodialysis Patients Receiving Zemplar Intravenous
2011
completedNot applicable265
NCT02018133Identification of Markers for Determining the Efficacy of Vitamin D Receptor Activator Therapy in Stage 3/4 CKD Patients
2009
completedNot applicable8
NCT01081665Follow-up Patients With End Stage Renal Disease Receiving Zemplar to Prevent and Treat Secondary Hyperparathyroidism
2006
completedNot applicable237

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Published literature

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Mechanism and notes

No mechanism of action is recorded for this pair in the source databases.

OSMF's existing evidence tier for this pair is A (Strong), derived from the strength of the disease association recorded in Open Targets and ChEMBL. The tier describes how well the drug-disease link is documented, not how well the drug works.

Frequently asked questions

Is Paricalcitol approved for Chronic Kidney Disease?

Paricalcitol has reached the approved stage (maximum clinical phase 4) for at least one indication, so its use in Chronic Kidney Disease would be drug repurposing rather than first-in-human development. This does not mean it is approved for Chronic Kidney Disease. Approval status for the specific indication should always be confirmed with the relevant regulator and prescribing information.

Is Paricalcitol in clinical trials for Chronic Kidney Disease?

ClinicalTrials.gov lists 8 registered trials linking Paricalcitol to Chronic Kidney Disease: 8 have completed. The most advanced is Phase 4 (NCT01506947). The largest enrolment is 265 participants (NCT01368042). Registration activity spans 2006 to 2012.

What does the evidence show for Paricalcitol in Chronic Kidney Disease?

Paricalcitol has both completed registered trials and synthesis-level publications linked to Chronic Kidney Disease. That is the strongest profile in this database, but the summaries here do not extract effect sizes, so read the linked reviews for direction and magnitude of benefit. OSMF's existing evidence tier for this pair is A (Strong), derived from the strength of the disease association recorded in Open Targets and ChEMBL. The tier describes how well the drug-disease link is documented, not how well the drug works.

Cite this page

Open Source Medicine Foundation. Paricalcitol for Chronic Kidney Disease: evidence, trials and status. OSMF Research Tracker. Updated 2026-07-05. https://research.opensourcemed.info/pairs/chronic-kidney-disease/paricalcitol.html

Data: ClinicalTrials.gov, PubMed, Open Targets, ChEMBL, DGIdb and the OSMF therapeutic agent database. Last updated 2026-07-05. Page built 2026-10-07.

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This is a research map, not treatment advice. Evidence tiers and scores summarise what has been studied, not whether a treatment works or is safe for you.