Summary
Dexamethasone has reached the approved stage (maximum clinical phase 4) for at least one indication, so its use in Lupus Nephritis would be drug repurposing rather than first-in-human development. This does not mean it is approved for Lupus Nephritis. ClinicalTrials.gov lists 2 registered trials linking Dexamethasone to Lupus Nephritis: 1 is currently recruiting; 1 is terminated, withdrawn, suspended or of unknown status. The most advanced is Phase 2 (NCT03580291). It plans or enrolled 230 participants. Registration activity spans 2018 to 2025. The literature layer holds 1 publication for this pair: 1 clinical trial publication. The dated items are from 1996. These are primary trial reports rather than syntheses, so results have not yet been pooled or graded independently.
The RepurpOS disease-intelligence file for Lupus Nephritis ranks 50 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: Spontaneous remission essentially zero in class III/IV LN; progression to ESRD in 10-20% at 10 years on standard therapy; renal flares in 30-50% of patients achieving initial response.
Evidence table
| Evidence tier | A · Strong |
|---|---|
| Evidence score | 28.0 (trials 6.0, literature 2.0, tier 15, approved bonus 5.0) |
| Registered trials | 2 total: 1 recruiting, 0 active / not yet recruiting, 0 completed, 1 other |
| Linked publications | 1 (1 clinical trial publication) |
| Agent type | Drug (Small molecule) |
| Development stage (any indication) | Approved |
| Mechanism / class | Not recorded |
| Data sources | DGIdb |
| Linked via biomarker / target | AGTR1 |
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trial scores by status (recruiting / active / enrolling 3, completed 2.5, not yet recruiting 2, unknown 1, terminated / withdrawn / suspended 0.5) plus a phase bonus (phase 3-4 +2, phase 2 +1, phase 1 +0.5).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 ID | Title | Status | Phase | Enrolment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NCT07340463 | The Efficacy and Safety of Biologics (Belimumab/ Telitacicept) Induction Therapy in Proliferative Lupus Nephritis Patients for 6 Months Compared With Mycophenolate Mofetil Treatment 2025 | recruiting | Phase 2 | 50 |
| NCT03580291 | Human Umbilical Cord Mesenchymal Stem Cells Treatment for Lupus Nephritis (LN) 2018 | status unknown | Phase 2 | 230 |
Published literature
- Clinical trial publication Modified oral ondansetron regimen for cyclophosphamide-induced emesis in lupus nephritisYarboro CH, Wesley R, Amantea MA et al. · The Annals of pharmacotherapy · 1996 · PMID 8826554
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 DGIdb, in this case via the biomarker or target AGTR1. The tier describes how well the drug-disease link is documented, not how well the drug works.
Frequently asked questions
Is Dexamethasone approved for Lupus Nephritis?
Dexamethasone has reached the approved stage (maximum clinical phase 4) for at least one indication, so its use in Lupus Nephritis would be drug repurposing rather than first-in-human development. This does not mean it is approved for Lupus Nephritis. Approval status for the specific indication should always be confirmed with the relevant regulator and prescribing information.
Is Dexamethasone in clinical trials for Lupus Nephritis?
ClinicalTrials.gov lists 2 registered trials linking Dexamethasone to Lupus Nephritis: 1 is currently recruiting; 1 is terminated, withdrawn, suspended or of unknown status. The most advanced is Phase 2 (NCT03580291). It plans or enrolled 230 participants. Registration activity spans 2018 to 2025.
What does the evidence show for Dexamethasone in Lupus Nephritis?
Trials of Dexamethasone in Lupus Nephritis are registered but none has completed, so there is no outcome evidence from those studies yet; the record is a signal of research interest. OSMF's existing evidence tier for this pair is A (Strong), derived from the strength of the disease association recorded in DGIdb, in this case via the biomarker or target AGTR1. The tier describes how well the drug-disease link is documented, not how well the drug works.
Cite this page
Data: ClinicalTrials.gov, PubMed, Open Targets, ChEMBL, DGIdb and the OSMF therapeutic agent database. Last updated 2026-07-06. Page built 2026-10-07.