New Spherix Global Insights Data Reveals 85% of FSGS Patients Have Actively Progressing Disease Despite Treatment, Underscoring Urgent Demand for Innovative Treatments
Findings from Spherix’s fourth annual patient chart audit of more than 500 FSGS patients reveal not only a large unmet need in this market, but also optimism about the future – especially for pipeline agents coming from Travere, Novartis, Vertex, Apellis and Dimerix.
June 10, 2025 16:01 ET | Source: Spherix Global InsightsFollow
EXTON, PA, June 10, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Patients battling focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) often face a discouraging path, marked by continued disease progression and limited therapeutic options. For nephrologists, this rare kidney disease is one of the more challenging to manage, with most patients – over 50% – considered to be sub-optimally managed. The latest findings from Spherix Global Insights' annual Patient Chart Dynamix™: FSGS (US) report reveal that nephrologists are closely following the pipeline and eager to adopt new agents once they are approved, especially ones that address the underlying cause of the disease.
This deep dive into the treatment patterns of 518 non-dialysis FSGS patients under the care of 161 U.S. nephrologists highlights the need for new and targeted therapeutic options. In the absence of any approved agents, physicians are currently forced to rely on supportive care – including SGLT2 inhibitors and RAASi therapies – and systemic corticosteroids, with limited degrees of success in halting disease progression.
However, there is reason for optimism. As multiple promising agents advance through the pipeline, nephrologists are keeping a close watch and report strong readiness to begin prescribing new agents once approved and available. Familiar names like sparsentan (marketed as Filspari for IgA nephropathy by Travere Therapeutics) and atrasentan (marketed as Vanrafia for IgA nephropathy by Novartis), are viewed as especially promising for the treatment of FSGS. These agents – and others such as Vertex’s inaxaplin, Apellis’ pegcetacoplan, and Dimerix’s DMX-200 following closely behind – represent a new wave of potentially disease-targeted interventions that physicians hope will ultimately help to minimize the need for steroids and other immunosuppressive therapy.
While physicians are currently unified in their belief that early and more targeted intervention is essential for successful patient outcomes, at present they are left to rely on proteinuria and eGFR levels to guide treatment decisions. When evaluating new therapies, they will ultimately look for strong clinical data and proven effectiveness in reducing proteinuria and slowing the progression of kidney disease.
Beyond the physician perspective, this report provides an in-depth look at patient types, beginning with referral and diagnosis, including genetic testing and disease classification, as well as demographics and treatment patterns, to allow for the segmentation of target patient types and the ability to uncover specific unmet needs. Notably, while most physicians indicate that they treat APOL-1 positive FSGS patients very differently than those who do not have the genetic marker, fewer than one-half of FSGS patients have been genetically tested.
As nephrologists look ahead to the arrival of potential new therapies, understanding how nephrologists are currently treating FSGS—and where those strategies fall short—is essential for those developing and delivering innovative new solutions.
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