Treatment of Resistant Nephrotic Syndrome With ACTH Gel (ACTHAR)

This study will examine the safety and effectiveness of ACTHAR Gel, when used to treat 15 patients diagnosed with "treatment resistant nephrotic syndrome." Nephrotic syndrome is a group of symptoms that includes low levels of protein in the blood, swelling of tissue (edema), especially around the eyes, feet and hands; and high plasma levels of cholesterol. It is caused by a variety of diseases and underlying disorders that damage the kidneys, resulting in excessive excretion of protein in the urine. These diseases damage the glomeruli, which are small blood vessels that filter wastes and excess water from the blood and pass them into the bladder as urine. As a result of protein loss in the urine, the blood is deficient in protein. Normal amounts of blood protein are needed to help regulate fluid throughout the body. Protein in the blood normally draws water from the tissues and into the bloodstream. When blood protein levels are low, the normal movement of water is reversed, and fluid is drawn from the blood and accumulates in the tissues. This excess tissue fluid causes the swelling and puffiness (edema) that is a symptom of nephrotic syndrome. Nephrotic syndrome is described as "treatment resistant" when a patient fails to achieve a sustained partial or complete remission after treatment with at least two first line therapies. The goal of this study is to determine whether injections of ACTHAR Gel (an FDA approved treatment for nephrotic syndrome) over a six month period will lead to a correction of treatment resistant nephrotic syndrome in these patients.