SMC accepts sparsentan for adults living with IgA nephropathy in Scotland
Kidney Research UK has welcomed the Scottish Medicine Consortium’s acceptance of sparsentan (Filspari ®) for use in some adults in Scotland living with primary immunoglobulin A nephropathy (IgAN), published today.
The SMC decision takes into account patient views gathered by Kidney Research UK through a focus group, and those expressed at a Patient and Clinician Engagement (PACE) meeting at which Kidney Research UK’s patient expert Mark Devlin talked about his lived experiences of the condition.
“I would have loved to have had a treatment that would have halted or slowed the progression of disease in the hope of avoiding dialysis altogether,” said Mark, who has experienced four kidney transplants.
He added: “I’m over the moon with the decision. It’s fantastic to see new treatments being made available for people like me and shows how far the science and understanding have progressed since I was first diagnosed.”
The Scottish Medicines Consortium’s (SMC) decision applies to patients who are either losing ≥1.0 g/day protein in their urine a day, or whose urine protein-to-creatinine ratio is ≥0.75 g/g (equivalent to ≥85 mg/mmol). It only applies to people whose condition has not responded adequately to current standard of care (maximally tolerated ACE inhibitors or ARBs and SGLT2-is).
“This is very welcome news for people living with IgAN in Scotland,” said Liz Barnard, Kidney Research UK’s Life sciences policy manager. “It could be life-changing for some, potentially enabling them to have treatments that will prevent disease progression rather than managing symptoms.
“We are very grateful to Mark and the other patients for sharing their experiences with the SMC. This was an opportunity to really make a difference.”
This is the second treatment approved for use in NHSScotland specifically for people living with IgAN and follows a decision to approve budesonide (Kinpeygo®) last month.
What is sparsentan?
Sparsentan (Filspari ®) works by blocking two hormone receptors involved in processes that damage the kidney, reducing the high levels of protein that otherwise leak into the urine, and slowing down the progression of the disease.
Treatment could therefore slow down, or even prevent, disease progression and mean that patients with IgAN – most of whom are under 40 years old when diagnosed – could be spared the need for gruelling dialysis or a kidney transplant.
Important information for patients
If you are living with IgAN, please speak to your healthcare professional about how best to manage your treatment. This article is intended to provide general information and does not replace medical advice.
If you experience any side effects, speak to your doctor, pharmacist or nurse. You can also report side effects directly via the https://yellowcard.mhra.gov.uk. By reporting side effects, you help improve the safety of medicines.
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