Immunoglobulin Type A Nephropathy
Introduction
Immunoglobulin type A nephropathy (IgAN) is the most common primary glomerulonephritis.1–5 Globally, IgAN is one of the leading causes of chronic kidney disease and end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) in adults.4
The progression of IgAN is driven by an autoimmune response to galactose-deficient immunoglobulin A1 (Gd-IgA1). Increased production of Gd‑IgA1 triggers the formation of anti‑Gd-IgA1 autoantibodies, which together form circulating immune complexes. The deposition of these immune complexes in the glomerular mesangium of the kidneys can trigger local complement activation and glomerular inflammation, which ultimately damages the kidneys.1,5–9
Prevalence
IgAN is most prevalent in Asia, with intermediate rates in Europe and the United States, and lower prevalence in African countries.3–5,10 The global incidence of IgAN is approximately 2.5 per 100,000 people per year.2–5 IgAN is typically diagnosed during young adulthood.5–8 Countries that implement routine screening tend to report a higher prevalence of IgAN.4
Disease Burden
Clinical symptoms of IgAN are variable, ranging from haematuria and/or proteinuria, to severe hypertension owing to kidney damage.5,11 A substantial proportion of patients with IgAN will have persistent proteinuria of >1 g/day despite optimised goal-directed supportive care (including renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system blockade, blood pressure control and lifestyle modifications). IgAN patients with persistent proteinuria are at high risk of progressive kidney disease and ESKD.12 With up to 50% of patients progressing to kidney failure within two decades of diagnosis, IgAN represents a significant clinical challenge, impacting both long-term survival and the overall disease burden.5,7,13–15
IgAN has a significant negative impact on health-related quality of life (including pain, fatigue, anxiety, depression and fear of disease progression). Furthermore, IgAN presents a considerable economic burden as the condition progresses.16,17
Medical Need
Until recently, the management of IgAN focused primarily on optimal supportive care. Yet, a significant risk of disease progression persists, and long-term outcomes remain poor for patients with IgAN.9 Consequently, there is a need for disease-modifying, individualised treatment options that target specific pathogenic pathways of IgAN to mitigate the risk of adverse kidney outcomes. The 2025 update to the Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) treatment guidelines reflects the evolving IgAN treatment landscape, incorporating newly approved therapies and investigational therapeutics designed to target different stages of the IgAN disease pathway.18
Patient Needs
The infographic highlights what people living with IgAN consider a patient benefit.
Patient Benefit Societal Impact (PBSI) Disease Area (DA) Summary
The PBSI DA summary is a framework, co-created with patient communities and Roche, which systematically captures patient benefits and the impact on society, as defined by the disease patient communities.*
*PBSI DA summary was validated with patient councils (e.g., Ophthalmology, Multiple Sclerosis, Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Lung Cancer, Lupus and Spinal Muscular Atrophy).
M-XX-00023264 | Date of preparation: April 2026
References
- Suzuki H, et al. J Am Soc Nephrol. 2011;22:1795–803.
- McGrogan A, et al. Nephrol Dial Transplant. 2011;26:414–30.
- Rodrigues JC, et al. Clin J Am Soc Nephrol. 2017;12:677–86.
- Zaidi O, et al. BMC Nephrol. 2024;25(1):136.
- Caster DJ, et al. Kidney Int Rep. 2023;8:1792–800.
- Medjeral-Thomas NR, et al. Semin Immunopathol. 2021;43:679–90.
- Wu MY, et al. J Clin Med. 2018;7(8):225.
- Duval A, et al. Nephrol Dial Transplant. 2023;38:2685–93.
- Lim RS, et al. J Clin Med. 2024;13(4):947.
- Okabayashi Y, et al. BMJ Open. 2018;8(10):e024317.
- Lai KN, et al. Nat Rev Dis Primers. 2016;2:16001.
- Cheung CK, et al. J Clin Med. 2021;10(11):2493.
- Pitcher D, et al. Clin J Am Soc Nephrol. 2023;18:727–38.
- Jarrick S, et al. J Am Soc Nephrol. 2019;30:866–76.
- Rauen T, et al. Kidney Int. 2020;98:1044–52.
- Jhaveri KD, et al. Pharmacoecon Open. 2023;7:709–22.
- Kwon CS, et al. J Health Econ Outcomes Res. 2021;8:36–45.
- Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) IgAN and IgAV Work Group, et al. Kidney Int. 2025;108:S1–71.
- Roche data on file (IQVIA patient interviews [n=2]).
- National Kidney Foundation. The voice of the patient [Internet; cited 2026 Apr 2]. Available from: https://nkf.egnyte.com/dl/aHGCS6tPNM.
- Glassock RJ. J Am Soc Nephrol. 2019;30:720–2.
- Roche data on file (IQVIA medical expert interviews).
- Zhang Z, et al. Glomerular Dis. 2021;2:30–41.
- National Kidney Foundation. Kidney transplant [Internet; cited 2026 Apr 2]. Available from: https://www.kidney.org/kidney-topics/kidney-transplant.
- Moroni G, et al. Front Immunol. 2019;10:1332.
