ROCKVILLE, Md. & EDMONTON, Alberta--(BUSINESS WIRE)--In recognition of Lupus Awareness Month, Aurinia Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ: AUPH) (Aurinia or the Company), today announced several initiatives to improve understanding of the seriousness of lupus nephritis (LN) and the need for frequent screening and appropriate management, including an innovative disease state education campaign for rheumatologists.
Aurinia is on a mission to tackle the toughest challenges that the LN community faces through collaborative efforts with key stakeholders across the healthcare ecosystem, including patients, healthcare professionals (HCPs), and policymakers. Through awareness, education, advocacy, and partnerships with the LN community, the Aurinia team is working to help eliminate barriers to access, promote equity, and improve health outcomes for those impacted by LN.
“Since its inception, Aurinia has stood tall as a dedicated leader in overtaking one of the toughest challenges in autoimmune disease – lupus nephritis,” said Peter Greenleaf, Chief Executive Officer of Aurinia. “We are actively engaged in ongoing clinical research and educational initiatives supporting both patients and healthcare professionals, striving to improve LN screening, diagnosis, and management. We recognize the importance of collaborating with the LN community in all our efforts, and we remain committed to listening to their perspectives at every stage of our journey.”
To further its education and advocacy efforts, Aurinia has several key initiatives throughout Lupus Awareness Month and the rest of the year:
Know the Signs Campaign
Aurinia recently launched a disease state education campaign for rheumatologists aimed at improving health outcomes for people with LN through education around the signs of LN and the importance of kidney health. The campaign is designed to increase awareness among rheumatologists around the severity of LN, increase awareness among HCPs around the vitality of prioritizing kidney health for people with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), and increase screening for LN among people with SLE.
Lupus Call to Action Day
Aurinia is supporting the National Minority Health Association for its Lupus Call to Action Day on May 1, 2024, in New York City. The event will feature interviews and conversations with healthcare stakeholders and others in the lupus community to drive awareness and discuss challenges and ways to improve health equity among people with lupus and lupus nephritis – including Grammy-award-winning artist, Toni Braxton who will share her personal lupus journey as part of her partnership with Aurinia and the Get Uncomfortable for Lupus Nephritis campaign. The event will be live streamed by BlackDoctor.org. Visit the BlackDoctor.org Facebook page to tune into the event.
Advocacy Events
As a dedicated partner to the LN community, Aurinia participates in events across the country throughout the year to promote awareness and uplift the people living with LN. In May, Aurinia will attend the Lupus Research Alliance LuCIN Meeting in San Diego, CA, May 9-11; World Lupus Day, including the Lupus and Allied Diseases Association Tea Party, May 10; Aurinia Legislative Townhall in Tampa, FL, May 18; and the Lupus Foundation of America Advocacy Day in Washington, D.C., May 19-21.
About Lupus Nephritis
Lupus Nephritis is a serious manifestation of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), a chronic and complex autoimmune disease. About 200,000-300,000 people live with SLE in the U.S., and about one-third of these people are diagnosed with lupus nephritis at the time of their SLE diagnosis. About 50 percent of all people with SLE may develop lupus nephritis. If poorly controlled, lupus nephritis can lead to permanent and irreversible tissue damage within the kidney. Black and Asian people with SLE are four times more likely to develop lupus nephritis and Hispanic people are approximately twice as likely to develop the disease, compared to White people with SLE. Black and Hispanic people with SLE also tend to develop lupus nephritis earlier and have worse outcomes, compared to White people with SLE.
About Aurinia
Aurinia Pharmaceuticals is a fully integrated biopharmaceutical company focused on delivering therapies to treat targeted patient populations with high unmet medical needs that are impacted by autoimmune, kidney and rare diseases. In January 2021, the Company introduced LUPKYNIS® (voclosporin), the first FDA-approved oral therapy dedicated to the treatment of adult patients with active lupus nephritis. The Company’s head office is in Edmonton, Alberta, its U.S. commercial office is in Rockville, Maryland. The Company focuses its development efforts globally.
