Atacicept
Chemical compound
Atacicept, sold under the brand name Trutakna, is a medication used for the treatment of proteinuria in immunoglobulin A nephropathy. It is given via subcutaneous injection (under the skin). Atacicept was developed by Merck KGaA.
Atacicept was approved for medical use in the United States in July 2026. Atacicept is the first medication that targets both B-cell activating factor and a proliferation-inducing ligand (APRIL), which are involved in survival and maturation of certain immune cells. This in turn decreases production of the abnormal immunoglobulin A antibody.
01Medical uses
Atacicept is indicated to reduce proteinuria in adults with primary immunoglobulin A nephropathy at risk for disease progression.
Immunoglobulin A nephropathy is a serious kidney disease that occurs when an abnormal form of an immunoglobulin A antibody builds up in the kidneys, causing kidney inflammation and damage. This kidney damage can cause protein to leak from the blood into the urine (proteinuria) and loss of kidney function over time that may progress to kidney failure.
02Pharmacology
Mechanism of action
Atacicept is a fusion protein of the human transmembrane activator, calcium modulator, and cyclophilin ligand interactor (TACI) receptor and the Fc portion of human IgG1 (TACI Fc), which has been modified to reduce Fc receptor-mediated effector functions. This blood-soluble protein can bind two cytokines that regulate maturation, function, and survival of B cells, B-cell activating factor (BAFF) and A proliferation-inducing ligand (APRIL), with the constant region of immunoglobin.
Atacicept is thought to selectively impair mature B cells and plasma cells with less impact on progenitor cells and memory B cells.
03Manufacturing
Atacicept is produced by recombinant DNA technology in Chinese hamster ovary cells.
04History
The efficacy and safety of atacicept were evaluated in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial (NCT04716231) in adult participants with biopsy-confirmed IgA nephropathy. Participants were randomly assigned to either atacicept 150 mg injected subcutaneously once weekly or placebo.
05Society and culture
Legal status
Atacicept was approved for medical use in the United States in July 2026. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted the application for atacicept priority review and breakthrough therapy designations. The FDA granted the approval of Trutakna to Vera Therapeutics.
Names
Atacicept is the international nonproprietary name.
Atacicept is sold under the brand name Trutakna.
Sources and credits
This article is adapted from the Wikipedia article “Atacicept”, written by its contributors and licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Fathomly has changed the layout, removed citation markers, navigation and maintenance notices, and adjusted punctuation. This adapted version is shared under the same license. For references, see the original article.
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