Avacopan - a new medication that will soon be available for severe GPA and MPA vasculitis patients.

[zoe69]

Click on the link for the announcement from Vifor Pharma:

viforpharma.com/tavneosr-av...

[Hidden]

That sounds promising, thanks for sharing 👍🏼

[Investigator1]

Hi zoe69 this seems like a big breakthrough mainly due to the fact that it seems to activate before the cell has been attacked thus leaving the immune system broadly intact. Brilliant news.

[zoe69 Moderator Volunteer Vasculitis UK in reply to Investigator1]

It is! Furthermore, it is the first medication ever being approved in the UK for vasculitis that hasn't been used for other illnesses before. I am personally chuffed as well, I appraised the medication, it was my first appraisal for NICE.

[Investigator1]

Well done to you! It does make your day hearing things like this. I am only a baby in illness terms as my illness was diagnosed very quickly and managed very effectively but the bravery and optimism shown by people on here gets us all through. I guess in time Zoe that people like me who are on maintenance therapies like Rituximab can look forward to possibly having something that at a lower dosage will preserve the immune system.Again thank you for sharing that, it’s made my day.

[Mooka]

That looks like really good news. Thank you Zoe for your part in this and the Guinea pigs that have helped. I hope I never need it 🤞 but it has to be an improvement on the devils tic tacs.

[2534]

Wow! Does it have to be given with cyclophosphamid/rituximab or can it be stand alone?

[jgold]

I also take a certain personal pleasure to read this. Back in 2014/15 I took part in the very first patient trials of this drug (then called ChemoCentryx CC168) as an alternative to prednisolone. Every fortnight I had to visit an office at the hospital which dispensed trial drugs. I was required to sign for it each time. The dosage instructions were different on each occasion and I had to submit a record of exactly what I took and when. To this day, of course, I don't whether I was taking the CC168 or the prednisolone. A totally passive role on my part, but nevertheless nice to see things come to fruition.

[Varp]

Thank you for your input and notification. Great news for all.

[tomo1854]

Do you think this will be available across all hospital trusts?

[zoe69 Moderator Volunteer Vasculitis UK in reply to tomo1854]

I would hope so, but we will know more soon.