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PHOSPHATE

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Overview

Pragmatic randomised trial of High Or Standard PHosphAte Targets in End-stage kidney disease (PHOSPHATE)

Over 150 people in Aotearoa New Zealand have participated in this clinical trial. We started the trial in 2019 and carried it on through COVID‑19, with the commitment of patients and health professionals at 8 renal units in New Zealand.

Although the trial finished in New Zealand in 2024 and Australia in 2025, it is still continuing across the world in the UK, Canada, and Brazil. Over 3,500 people worldwide will participate in this trial.

The trial is finding out whether lowering blood levels of phosphate in people with advanced kidney disease can reduce future risks of serious circulation problems including a heart attack, stroke, or reduced blood supply in the legs.

Storybook: The PHOSPHATE Trial

Comic book-style poster about the PHOSPHATE clinical trial, subtitled ‘PHOSPHATE treatment for dialysis patients’. The text says: ‘Advanced kidney disease is sometimes treated with a transplant, but more often with dialysis. Dialysis causes phosphate to build up in arteries. This causes circulation issues like bad circulation in feed, stroke, and heart disease. The treatment for phosphate build up is up to 12 large chalky tablets per day with meals. The tablets remove the phosphate from food and reduce build up. The scientific community said we need to evaluate this treatment to make sure it’s working. The global community joined together to conduct a clinical trial, starting in New Zealand in 2019 with 150 participants across 8 kidney centres. The New Zealand PHOSPHATE trial ended in 2024. The internatinoal trail will end in 2028. To the participants, research teams, nurses, dieticians, specialists, and whānau, thank you all, from Kidneys everywhere.

Contact us

For more information, contact:

Email phosphate.nz@otago.ac.nz