Latest news with #kidneydisease
The Independent
15 hours ago
- General
- The Independent
Fallon Sherrock announces break from darts in emotional statement: ‘I need to get myself well'
Fallon Sherrock has indicated that she plans to take a break from darts in 2026 for health reasons. Sherrock, 30, broke the glass ceiling in the sport when she became the first woman to win a match at the PDC World Championship in 2019, earning herself the nickname 'Queen of the Palace'. However, she has struggled with kidney problems since the birth of her son Rory in 2014, after which she fell ill. With energy levels lower than optimum, Sherrock admits she is far from her best after seeing her time in competition limited. "I feel like it will be my B-game [at the moment] and I don't know if I am able to get my A-game out," Sherrock told Online Darts. "If I'm going to have a year out next year I want to make a bang this year. I want to try to get to everything even if I'm not playing 100%. "I need to sort myself out, get myself well and then the sky is the limit." Sherrock has been outspoken about her battles with kidney disease, for which she received treatment in 2017. She now appears set to spend a couple years away from darts as she prioritises getting healthy. "All I want to do is practice at home for a couple of hours a day and I can't do that at the moment, so it is difficult," she added. 'I've had to pull out of some exhibitions recently because I haven't had the stamina. "I have had to narrow down what I am playing in at the moment, and that hurts because I love darts. "Fingers crossed that in a couple of years' time I'll be alright and back to winning well."
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Health
- Daily Mail
Queen of Ally Pally Fallon Sherrock quits darts for up to two years after worrying health update about her 'moon face'
Darts star Fallon Sherrock has revealed that she is set to take a step back from the sport and will not compete in any major tournament in 2026 due to health issues. The 'Queen of the Palace' has been a trailblazer for the sport since she became the first woman to win a match at the PDC World Championship in 2021. Sherrock later became the first woman to reach the last-16 of a major mixed-gender darts tournament at the 2021 Grand Slam of Darts, making the quarter-finals that year before she was defeated by Peter Wright. But amid her rise to fame, Sherrock revealed that she has struggled with kidney disease since her 2014 diagnosis. The 30-year-old has been outspoken about the challenges of living with her condition, which saw her receive treatment in 2017. Sherrock has previously shared that due to taking multiple medications to combat the disease has given her a 'moon face'. However, her statement this week appeared to confirm that Sherrock is continuing to struggle with the management of her condition, with the player adamant that getting healthy must be a priority over competing in her sport. 'All I want is to practice at home for a few hours a day - but I can't do that,' Sherrock told Online Darts. 'I've also had to cancel a few exhibition events recently because I simply lack the stamina. 'I just have to find myself again. I have to get healthy again - and once I've done that, anything is possible. 'That's why I've had to severely limit the tournaments I participate in - and that hurts because I love darts. 'I just hope that I'll be fit again in a year or two and come back really well.' In the wake of her appearance at this year's World Championship, Sherrock was candid after her first-round defeat to Ryan Meikle about how limited she has felt living with kidney issues. 'My main goal is, of course, the World Championship,' Sherrock said. 'But I also definitely want to be part of the Grand Slam - because I think if I really am going to take a year off next year, I want to make a statement beforehand.' Both Sherrock and her fellow professional boyfriend Cameron Menzies were unable to get through the first round at this year's World Championship. Menzies broke down in tears in the wake of his upset defeat to world No130 Leonard Gates, in part due to the stress of playing while his father was unwell. 'He tries to make a joke of the man flu, and everything else like that, but it's obviously the pressure and excitement of his dad being ill and also playing in the biggest stage in his sport,' his manager Tommy Gilmour said after the match.
Reuters
3 days ago
- Business
- Reuters
Vera shares skyrocket as kidney disease drug succeeds in late-stage trial
June 2 (Reuters) - Shares of Vera Therapeutics (VERA.O), opens new tab soared 82% on Monday, after the company said its experimental drug helped significantly reduce excess levels of harmful proteins in the urine of kidney disease patients in a late-stage study. The drug developer's shares surged to $34.24 in premarket trading, giving it a market value of $2.18 billion, if gains hold. The drug, atacicept, reduced protein levels in the urine by 46% in patients with IgA nephropathy, which was statistically significant compared to a placebo, meeting the main goal of the study, the company said. In IgA nephropathy, there is a buildup of proteins that causes inflammation in kidneys, which is indicated by their presence in the patient's urine. The late-stage study data beat investor's expectations, which were based on the 35% reduction seen in the mid-stage study of the drug, said Evercore ISI analyst Liisa Bayko in a note. Vera plans to submit a marketing application to the FDA in fourth-quarter and expects for potential commercial launch in 2026 in the United States. The study will continue to test the change in kidney function over two years and is expected to complete in 2027. Rival Japan-based firm Otsuka Holdings (4578.T), opens new tab has already filed for a marketing application to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for its kidney disease drug, sibeprenlimab. That drug is expected to reach the market six to nine months ahead of Vera's atacicept, Bayko said. In a separate mid-stage trial, Otsuka's drug had helped reduce levels of excess proteins by 43%, according to Evercore.
Medscape
28-05-2025
- Health
- Medscape
NICE Approves Sparsentan for Kidney Disease Treatment
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has recommended sparsentan (Filspari, Vifor Pharma) for treating primary immunoglobulin A nephropathy in adults. The recommendation reverses NICE's February decision to reject NHS funding for the drug. The regulator had previously said available evidence did not demonstrate value for money. The manufacturer provided additional analyses and agreed to a price discount, leading to the positive recommendation. Clinical Benefits Demonstrated Sparsentan reduces urine protein-to-creatinine ratio (UPCR) more effectively than standard treatment. The drug may also better maintain kidney function, NICE said. In its final draft guidance, the regulator recommended sparsentan for IgAN patients with a urine protein excretion of 1.0 g/day or more, or a UPCR of 0.75 g/g or higher. Treatment should cease after 36 weeks if a patient's UPCR remains at or above 1.76 g/g and has not reduced by at least 20%. Significant Patient Impact IgAN affects more than 18,000 people in England. It ranks among the most common causes of chronic kidney disease and kidney failure. Over 4200 people with chronic kidney disease could benefit from NICE's recommendation. Standard care for IgAN includes angiotensin-2 receptor blockers such as irbesartan. Mechanism of Action Sparsentan works by blocking the receptors for two hormones —endothelin-1 and angiotensin II — that cause kidney damage. By blocking these receptors, the drug reduces the amount of proteinuria and slows down the progression of kidney damage. Clinical trial evidence has shown that sparsentan reduces UPCR more than irbesartan. Evidence also suggests that sparsentan is better at maintaining kidney function than irbesartan, but this was uncertain, NICE explained. PROTECT Study Results The regulator's recommendation was informed by the outcome of the PROTECT study. The double-blind, randomised, active-controlled, phase 3 trial included patients aged 18 years or older with biopsy-proven primary IgAN and proteinuria of at least 1.0 g daily despite maximised renin-angiotensin system inhibition for a minimum of 12 weeks. Patients were randomly assigned to either receive 400 mg of oral sparsentan or 300 mg of oral irbesartan, both taken once daily. The sparsentan group showed slower rates of estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) decline. At 36 weeks, sparsentan had significantly reduced proteinuria, a reduction that continued throughout the study. At 110 weeks, proteinuria, as determined by the change from baseline in UPCR, was 40% lower in the sparsentan group compared with irbesartan patients. The composite kidney failure endpoint was reached by 9% of patients in the sparsentan group compared with 13% of those in the irbesartan group. The researchers concluded that treatment with sparsentan versus maximally titrated irbesartan in patients with IgAN resulted in significant reductions in proteinuria and preservation of kidney function. Treatment Advantages Sparsentan is taken as a once-daily tablet for long-term use. This differs from targeted-release budesonide, which is limited to 9 months' duration. NICE said it expected the treatment to reduce NHS pressure by preventing or delaying progression to end-stage renal disease requiring dialysis or transplant. Helen Knight, director of medicines evaluation at NICE, highlighted the limited treatment options available for the disease. She said that sparsentan offered long-term benefits to patients and 'could make a huge difference to people's lives by delaying kidney failure'. Fiona Loud, policy director at Kidney Care UK, welcomed the guidance. She noted that IgAN typically affects younger patients, disrupting lives when people have young families or are starting careers. 'We're pleased that this new treatment for IgAN will now be an option for patients who need it,' Loud said.
Medscape
22-05-2025
- Health
- Medscape
Maternal Preeclampsia Tied to Kidney Disease Risk in Kids
Children exposed to maternal preeclampsia and born at term (37 weeks or more) were 26% more likely to develop kidney disease in the first year of life than those not exposed. They also faced notably high risks for chronic, unspecified, and diabetic kidney diseases as they grew older, particularly at or after 25 years of age. METHODOLOGY: Researchers conducted a nationwide register-based cohort study to examine the association between maternal preeclampsia and the risk for kidney disease in their offspring. They analysed data of 2,288,589 offsprings born in Denmark between 1978 and 2017, of whom 63,191 (17.7% preterm) were exposed to maternal preeclampsia; mothers of the included offsprings were required to have pregnancy durations of more than 20 weeks. Information on maternal preeclampsia was identified from the National Patient Register; offsprings were categorised on the basis of their gestational age at birth as early preterm (< 34 weeks), late preterm (34-36 weeks), and term (≥ 37 weeks). Offsprings were considered to have kidney disease if they were registered with any of the following diagnoses: Acute or chronic kidney disease, glomerular and proteinuric disease, diabetic kidney disease, unspecified kidney disease, or kidney disease due to external causes. The median follow-up duration of this cohort was 18.8 years. TAKEAWAY: During the follow-up period, 37,782 individuals developed kidney disease, including 1150 who were exposed to maternal preeclampsia. O ffsprings exposed to maternal preeclampsia had a higher risk of developing overall kidney disease within the first year of life, irrespective of gestational age at delivery (hazard ratio [HR], 1.41; 95% CI, 1.05-1.90 for preterm birth and HR, 1.26; 95% CI, 1.09-1.46 for term birth), than those not exposed to maternal preeclampsia and born at term. In offsprings born at term, exposure to maternal preeclampsia was strongly associated with increased risks for chronic kidney disease, unspecified kidney disease, and diabetic kidney disease (HR range, 1.36-2.85) at or after the age of 25 years. Exposure to preeclampsia with preterm delivery was not linked to higher rates of kidney disease in offsprings beyond the first year of life. IN PRACTICE: "In adolescents and young adults presenting with signs and symptoms of kidney dysfunction, a history of maternal preeclampsia may warrant an upweighting of kidney disease in the differential diagnosis, despite the patient's youth," the authors wrote. SOURCE: This study was led by Ida Lihme, Statens Serum Institut, Copenhagen, Denmark. It was published online on May 16, 2025, in Kidney International . LIMITATIONS: Relatively few individuals were exposed to preterm preeclampsia and developed kidney disease, which may have yielded unstable results in some subanalyses and made it difficult to assess associations with early and late preterm preeclampsia separately. In analyses of individual kidney disease subtypes, evidence for associations with preterm preeclampsia was often lacking, likely due to a lack of statistical power. DISCLOSURES: Two authors reported receiving grants from various sources, including the US National Institutes of Health, Danish Council for Independent Research, and Novo Nordisk Foundation.
