The FDA has expanded the approval of Novartis' drug, iptacopan, to include the treatment of IgA nephropathy, a type of kidney disease characterized by the accumulation of immunoglobulin A (IgA) antibodies in the kidneys. This accumulation leads to inflammation and damage to the kidney's filtering units. Iptacopan aims to reduce the excess protein in the urine of patients with IgA nephropathy.

With this approval, iptacopan joins budesonide and sparsentan as treatment options for IgA nephropathy. Iptacopan was previously approved for the treatment of paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria, a rare blood disorder.