Fournier Gangrene

LONDON, Ontario, Sept. 16, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- While on vacation in Napa Valley last year, Colleen DeJager’s world imploded when she received a startling call from back home—her husband Rick was admitted to London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC) with Fournier’s Gangrene, a rapidly progressing, aggressive flesh-eating disease. With every passing minute, his condition worsened, and they weren’t sure if he would survive the night. Rick DeJager, the owner of local gem, Tiger Jacks, started feeling incredibly unwell and decided to drive himself to Victoria Hospital once his symptoms became unbearable. While he initially suspected prostate cancer, the actual diagnosis came as a shock. Despite being a flight away, Colleen's quick return home was met with relief as Dr. Alp Sener, Division Head of Urology at LHSC, performed a critical life-saving operation. After the surgery was complete, Dr. Sener removed a wad of infected tissue the size of a laptop. After spending two and a half weeks in the ICU, Rick's continuing recovery underscores the expertise of Dr. Sener and his team, highlighting London's advanced medical care for this rare, potentially fatal disease—a condition Dr. Sener has encountered only once before in his career. “Dr. Sener and his team are just unbelievable,” Rick says. “He saved my life.” Flesh-eating disease is notoriously fast and destructive. It can escalate from a minor rash to a full-limb infection within a few hours. Often, amputation is the only treatment to prevent the disease from spreading further. “I have said this a lot over the past six months, but we are so blessed to live in London and have access to this level of care,” Rick added. “Special donor-funded projects, like the Keith and Leanne Lavergne Chair in Urology are what change the future. Every donation counts.” In a gesture of gratitude and to support other patients in need, Rick and Colleen have pledged $25,000 to further enhance the Urology Division at LHSC. “The Division of Urology is grateful for the donation made by the DeJager family,” says Dr. Sener. “Their generous gift will continue to propel the ongoing research supported by the Lavergne Family Catalyst Grant to new heights. This research is critical to the mission of the Division of Urology, enhancing the state-of-the-art care provided to patients in London and our region.” INTERVIEWS: Interviews can be scheduled upon request. Please contact Jenn Basa, Communications Officer (LHSF) at jennifer.basa@lhsc.on.ca or 647.409.8903 About London Health Sciences Foundation (LHSF):As the charitable arm of London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC), we at London Health Sciences Foundation (LHSF) strive to enhance the standard of care for patients at our hospital. With donor generosity, we support the development of critical initiatives such as ground-breaking research, state-of-the-art equipment, specialized care with personalized treatment options, and the education of our next generation of clinicians. Through the hope and kindness of our donors, the health and lives of patients at LHSC are improved today and tomorrow. We honor our donors' compassion with gratitude, steward with respect, and report with honesty, transparency, and accountability. As a Canada Revenue Agency registered charity accredited by Imagine Canada, LHSF’s donors enable discovery and innovation in research, education, and patient care. To see how donations make extraordinary care possible, visit lhsf.ca. For further inquiries, please contact: Jenn Basa Communications Officer, Media and Internal CommunicationsLondon Health Sciences Foundation Cell: 647-409-8903 | Jennifer.basa@lhsc.on.ca A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/4e113afb-ae67-46fc-a037-5fbf87b44bb5

SILVER SPRING, Md., April 30, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Farxiga (dapagliflozin) oral tablets to reduce the risk of kidney function decline, kidney failure, cardiovascular death and hospitalization for heart failure in adults with chronic kidney disease who are at risk of disease progression. "Chronic kidney disease is an important public health issue, and there is a significant unmet need for therapies that slow disease progression and improve outcomes," said Aliza Thompson, M.D., M.S., deputy director of the Division of Cardiology and Nephrology in the FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research. "Today's approval of Farxiga for the treatment of chronic kidney disease is an important step forward in helping people living with kidney disease." Chronic kidney disease occurs when the kidneys are damaged and cannot filter blood normally. Due to this defective filtering, patients can have complications related to fluid, electrolytes (minerals required for many bodily processes), and waste build-up in the body. Chronic kidney disease sometimes can progress to kidney failure. Patients also are at high risk of cardiovascular disease, including heart disease and stroke. The efficacy of Farxiga to improve kidney outcomes and reduce cardiovascular death in patients with chronic kidney disease was evaluated in a multicenter, double-blind study. In this study, 4,304 patients were randomly assigned to receive either Farxiga or a placebo. The study compared the two groups for the number of patients whose disease progressed to a composite (or combined) endpoint that included at least a 50% reduction in kidney function, progression to kidney failure, or cardiovascular or kidney death. Results showed that 197 of the 2,152 patients who received Farxiga had at least one of the composite endpoint events compared to 312 of the 2,152 patients who received a placebo. The study also compared the two groups for the number of patients who were hospitalized for heart failure or died from cardiovascular disease. A total of 100 patients who received Farxiga were hospitalized or died compared to 138 patients who received a placebo. Farxiga was not studied, nor is expected to be effective, in treating chronic kidney disease among patients with autosomal dominant or recessive polycystic (characterized by multiple cysts) kidney disease or among patients who require or have recently used immunosuppressive therapy to treat kidney disease. Patients should not use Farxiga if they have a history of serious hypersensitivity reactions to the medication or if they are on dialysis treatment. Serious, life-threatening cases of Fournier's Gangrene have occurred in patients with diabetes taking Farxiga. Patients should consider a lower dose of insulin or insulin secretagogue to reduce the risk of hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) if they are also taking Farxiga. Farxiga can cause dehydration, serious urinary tract infections, genital yeast infections, and metabolic acidosis or ketoacidosis (acid build-up in the blood). Patients should be assessed for their volume status and kidney function before starting Farxiga. Farxiga was originally approved in 2014 to improve glycemic control in adults with type 2 diabetes in addition to diet and exercise. Farxiga received Fast Track, Breakthrough Therapy and Priority Review designations for the indication being approved today. Fast track is designed to facilitate the development and expedite the review of drugs to treat serious conditions and fill an unmet medical need. Breakthrough therapy designation is designed to expedite the development and review of drugs that are intended to treat a serious condition and preliminary clinical evidence indicates that the drug may demonstrate substantial improvement over available therapy on a clinically significant endpoint(s). Priority review directs overall attention and resources to the evaluation of applications for drugs that, if approved, would be significant improvements in the safety or effectiveness of the treatment, diagnosis or prevention of serious conditions when compared to standard applications. The FDA granted the approval of Farxiga to AstraZeneca. Additional Resources: NIH: Chronic Kidney Disease The FDA, an agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, protects the public health by assuring the safety, effectiveness, and security of human and veterinary drugs, vaccines and other biological products for human use, and medical devices. The agency also is responsible for the safety and security of our nation's food supply, cosmetics, dietary supplements, products that give off electronic radiation, and for regulating tobacco products.

Patients taking some newer diabetes medications – SGLT2 inhibitors – have been warned that they may be at risk of developing necrotizing fasciitis infections on their genitals. The rare, flesh-eating bacterial infection, which is called Fournier gangrene (FG) when it appears on the genitals, was found in 55 patients receiving SGLT2 inhibitors between March 2013 and January 2019. read more