What is the role of the kidneys?
Kidneys are important for keeping our body healthy. Their main task is to filter waste products from our blood.
Additionally, they regulate the amount of water and salts in our body, our blood pressure, and the production of certain hormones. Therefore, healthy kidneys are vital.
To fulfill their role, each kidney contains approximately one million tiny filters called 'glomeruli'.
What is IgA Nephropathy?
IgA Nephropathy (or Berger's disease) is a rare autoimmune disease that irreversibly damages the kidney's tiny filters. This will result in a progressive decline in kidney function, ultimately leading to kidney failure and potentially requiring dialysis or transplantation.
IgA Nephropathy affects annually approximately 2,5 per 100 000 individuals worldwide.1 This kidney disease can develop at any age, but the initial symptoms typically occur between the 16th and 35th years of age.2 The severity of this condition can vary from very mild to very severe.
In patients with IgA Nephropathy, the kidneys are damaged by abnormal IgA proteins. IgA proteins play a role in the protection against infections and are primarily produced by immune cells in the intestines. Your IgA proteins are abnormal, causing them to remain 'stuck' in the kidney filters. This triggers an inflammatory reaction in the kidney's filters (glomerulonephritis), ultimately leading to irreversible kidney damage.1
IgA Nephropathy can arise as a result of another disease (for example, certain liver diseases, intestinal diseases, skin diseases), in which case it is termed secondary IgA Nephropathy. However, most forms of IgA Nephropathy have no identified cause and are referred to as primary IgA Nephropathy.
Kinpeygo® is used for the treatment of primary IgA Nephropathy in adults aged 18 years and older.
What are the symptoms of IgA Nephropathy?
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High blood pressure.
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Brownish-red urine due to the presence of blood (hematuria).
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Foamy urine due to the presence of proteins (proteinuria).
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Swelling of the eyes, legs, or feet (edema).
A kidney biopsy is required to confirm the diagnosis when IgA Nephropathy is suspected.
Why have I been prescribed Kinpeygo®?
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Kinpeygo® is a new treatment specifically for IgA Nephropathy, proven to slow the loss of kidney function, thus allowing you to live longer without the need for dialysis or transplantation.
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Kinpeygo® contains the active ingredient budesonide, a corticosteroid medication. With a special coating, Kinpeygo® ensures that the active ingredient primarily reaches the intestines locally, reducing the production of IgA proteins.
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As a result, fewer abnormal IgA proteins will enter the kidneys and accumulate in the kidney filters. In this way, Kinpeygo® addresses the cause of the inflammation that leads to your kidney disease.3
How to take Kinpeygo®?
Always take this medicine exactly as your doctor has told you. Do you have doubts about the correct usage? Then, please contact your doctor or pharmacist.
The recommended dosage of Kinpeygo® is 16 mg (4 capsules of Kinpeygo® 4 mg) once a day.
Swallow the capsule whole with a glass of water.
Take the medication in the morning, at least one hour before a meal.
Do not open, crush, or chew the capsules, as this may affect the medication's effectiveness.
The capsules have a special coating to ensure that the medication is released in the right part of your intestines.
A standard course of treatment with Kinpeygo® lasts for 9 months.
At the end of the 9-month treatment with Kinpeygo®, your doctor will reduce the dose to 8 mg (2 capsules of Kinpeygo® 4 mg) once daily for the last 2 weeks of the treatment. If deemed necessary by your doctor, the dose may then be further reduced to once daily 4 mg (1 capsule of Kinpeygo® 4 mg) for an additional 2 weeks.3
Do not stop taking Kinpeygo® without discussing it with your doctor first. Suddenly stopping the medication can make you ill.
Why is correct intake so important?
As with most chronic treatments that require regular intake, it is important to strictly follow the instructions of your treating physician. Studies show that optimal results from a Kinpeygo® treatment are achieved after 9 months of daily intake.5
As with most kidney diseases, unfortunately, recovery of your kidney function is not possible, and only your current kidney function can be preserved against further decline. This is why you are being prescribed this treatment now, and your doctor is not waiting until symptoms develop or worsen. Protecting your current kidney function as soon as possible is key.
What can I, as a patient, expect from my treatment with Kinpeygo®?
At this stage of your IgA Nephropathy, you may have few or no symptoms. This means that a treatment with Kinpeygo® may also have little or no immediate noticeable effect.
However, significant changes are occurring in your intestines and kidneys. The active ingredient budesonide works locally in the intestines to regulate the inflammation that affects your kidney function. Studies show a considerable protective effect on your kidney function in the long term.5 If you would like more information on this, you can certainly discuss it with your treating physician.
Like any medication, Kinpeygo® can have side effects, although not everyone will experience them. Some of the most common side effects include rash, acne, low potassium in the blood, high blood pressure, swelling of the arms or legs, and swelling of the face. If you notice a side effect of this medication, please inform your doctor.
For complete information on side effects, we refer you to the patient leaflet which you can find in the Kinpeygo® packaging.
What can I, as a patient, do?
Follow-up visits to your doctor and the regular and correct intake of all your prescribed medications are important aspects of living with IgA Nephropathy.
Try to reduce excess body weight and exercise regularly.
A low-salt diet and the correct intake of your blood pressure medication are important to keep your blood pressure perfectly under control.
If you smoke, quitting completely is strongly recommended.
Protect yourself from infections. Discuss with your doctor which vaccinations may be useful for you.
Connect with other people with kidney disease to share your experiences.
This website is purely informative. It is only issued by EG nv/sa for professional healthcare providers. Access should only be granted to a patient after the patient has taken the initiative to consult the professional healthcare provider, after the consultation has actually taken place, and as far as during the consultation the subject to which this brochure relates has been discussed.
Reporting of side effects.
If you experience side effects, please contact your doctor or pharmacist. This also applies to possible side effects not listed in the package leaflet. You can also report side effects directly via www.eenbijwerkingmelden.be or email: adr@fagg.be. By reporting side effects, you can help us obtain more information about the safety of this medication.