{"id":162195,"date":"2026-06-08T14:42:58","date_gmt":"2026-06-08T13:42:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.kidneyresearchuk.org\/?p=162195"},"modified":"2026-06-09T13:33:16","modified_gmt":"2026-06-09T12:33:16","slug":"smc-accepts-sparsentan-for-adults-living-with-iga-nephropathy-in-scotland","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.kidneyresearchuk.org\/2026\/06\/08\/smc-accepts-sparsentan-for-adults-living-with-iga-nephropathy-in-scotland\/","title":{"rendered":"SMC accepts sparsentan for adults living with IgA nephropathy in Scotland"},"content":{"rendered":"\r\n\r\n\t\t\r\n\t

Kidney Research UK has welcomed\u00a0the\u00a0Scottish Medicine\u00a0Consortium’s\u00a0acceptance\u00a0of\u00a0sparsentan\u00a0(Filspari\u00a0\u00ae)\u00a0for\u00a0use\u00a0in some\u00a0adults\u00a0in Scotland\u00a0living with primary\u00a0immunoglobulin A\u00a0nephropathy (IgAN)<\/a>, published today<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n

The SMC decision\u00a0takes\u00a0into\u00a0account\u00a0patient\u00a0views\u00a0gathered\u00a0by\u00a0Kidney Research\u00a0UK\u00a0through a\u00a0focus group, and\u00a0those expressed\u00a0at\u00a0a Patient and Clinician Engagement (PACE) meeting at which Kidney Research UK’s patient expert Mark Devlin\u00a0talked about his lived experiences of the condition.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n

“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,”\u00a0said Mark, who\u00a0has experienced four\u00a0kidney transplants.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p><\/blockquote>\r\n

He added: “I’m over the moon with the decision.\u00a0\u00a0It’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.”\u00a0<\/p>\r\n

The\u00a0Scottish Medicines Consortium’s\u00a0(SMC)\u00a0decision\u00a0applies to patients\u00a0who\u00a0are either\u00a0losing\u00a0\u22651.0 g\/day\u00a0protein in their\u00a0urine\u00a0a\u00a0day, or whose\u00a0urine protein-to-creatinine ratio\u00a0is\u00a0\u22650.75 g\/g\u00a0(equivalent\u00a0to\u00a0 \u226585 mg\/mmol).\u00a0It\u00a0only applies to\u00a0people\u00a0whose condition has not responded adequately to current standard of care\u00a0(maximally tolerated ACE inhibitors or\u00a0ARBs and SGLT2-is).\u00a0<\/p>\r\n

“This is\u00a0very welcome\u00a0news for people living with\u00a0IgAN\u00a0in Scotland,” said\u00a0Liz Barnard,\u00a0Kidney Research UK’s Life sciences policy manager. “It\u00a0could be life-changing for\u00a0some,\u00a0potentially\u00a0enabling them to\u00a0have treatments that\u00a0will prevent disease progression rather than managing symptoms.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n

“We are\u00a0very grateful\u00a0to Mark and the other patients for sharing their experiences\u00a0with the SMC. This was an opportunity to really make a difference.”\u00a0<\/p>\r\n

This is the second treatment approved for use in\u00a0NHSScotland\u00a0specifically\u00a0for people living with\u00a0IgAN\u00a0and follows a decision to approve\u00a0budesonide (Kinpeygo\u00ae)\u202flast month.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\t

What is\u00a0sparsentan?<\/h2>\r\n

Sparsentan\u00a0(Filspari\u00a0\u00ae)\u00a0works by blocking two hormone receptors involved in processes that damage the kidney, reducing the\u00a0high levels\u00a0of protein that otherwise leak into the urine, and slowing down the progression of the disease. <\/p>\r\n

Treatment could therefore slow down, or even prevent, disease progression and mean that patients with\u00a0IgAN\u00a0– most of whom are under 40 years old when diagnosed – could be spared the need for gruelling dialysis<\/a> or a kidney transplant<\/a>.<\/p>\r\n\t

Important information\u202ffor patients<\/h2>\r\n

If you are\u202fliving with\u202fIgAN, 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.\u202f\u202f\u202f\u202f\u00a0<\/p>\r\n

If you experience any side effects, speak to your doctor,\u202fpharmacist\u202for nurse. You can also report side effects directly via the\u202fhttps:\/\/yellowcard.mhra.gov.uk<\/a>. By reporting side effects, you help improve the safety of medicines.\u202f\u202f\u00a0<\/p>\r\n

\r\n\t\t\t\t\"Kidney