The Evidence Speaks Series is a recurring feature highlighting the latest in Advancing Health research. This series features summaries of select publications and is designed to keep media and the research community up to date with the Centre’s current research results in the health outcomes field.
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New drug may improve kidney function in IgA nephropathy patients
Floege J, Lafayette R, Barratt J, Schwartz B, Manser PT, Patel UD, Shah M, Kivman L, Faulhaber N, Kräft T, Thakur A, Ha¨rtle S, Barbour SJ. Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Phase 2a Study Assessing the Efficacy and Safety of Felzartamab for IgA Nephropathy. Kidney Int. 2025 Jun 26.
IgA nephropathy, also known as Berger’s Disease, is a condition that affects both the kidneys and the immune system. The disease is caused by a buildup of the antibody IgA in the kidneys, which causes inflammation and loss of kidney function. Over the long-term, people with Berger’s disease have a high risk of kidney disease. Felzartamab, a monoclonal antibody, is a drug that depletes white blood cells called plasma cells and plasma blasts that contribute to the buildup of protein in the kidneys. Previous research has shown that felzartamab may be effective in treating related conditions; to determine if it could be a successful treatment for IgA nephropathy, Advancing Health scientist Dr. Sean Barbour and team conducted a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled Phase II clinical trial. Twelve patients were given a placebo while 36 additional participants were randomized into three arms and given different doses of felzartamab at different frequencies; two doses in half a month; five doses over two months; and nine doses over five months. In all cases, felzartamab successfully reduced the amount of protein found in the patients’ urine, an indicator of kidney function. The nine-dose arm showed a particularly significant decrease of 30 per cent. This led to the second phase of the study, where an additional six patients were given the nine-dose schedule, and found to have an even more significant reduction in their urine protein levels. This suggests that fetzartamab may successfully preserve kidney function for IgA patients, though further research is needed to understand its full impact on high-risk patients.
E-book clubs help improve cognitive function, social engagement and quality of life in long-term care residents
Agboji A, Freeman S, Banner D, Armstrong J, Martin-Khan M. The Impact of eBook Clubs on Apathy Among Long-Term Care Residents: A Pilot Study Sage Open Aging. 2025 Jun 15.
Apathy is frequently found to negatively impact motivation, social interaction, and quality of life in long-term care residents by reducing health-related quality of life, accelerating cognitive decline, and increasing mortality risk. Advancing Health scientist, Dr. Davina Banner and her team hypothesized that eBook clubs could help alleviate the apathy experienced by long-term care residents. Reading can be a cognitively stimulating activity that mitigates apathy by promoting mental engagement and emotional well-being and eBook clubs can address the accessibility challenges presented by traditional books through e-readers, which can account for adjustable font and backlighting, alleviating visual strain in older adults. The team conducted a study with 20 participants in a three-month program with weekly group reading sessions facilitated by trained staff, with four to eight participants in each group. Through reading aloud time and group discussions about pre-selected books, the intervention aimed to improve social engagement, cognitive stimulation, and emotional connection among participants. Using the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS-3), the researchers found that participants reported significant social and emotional benefits from group reading sessions, with a significant decrease in apathy, from 55 per cent of participants at baseline to 35 per cent post-intervention. The results of the study show the viability of eBook clubs to reduce apathy among long-term care residents. They not only promote social interaction and emotional engagement but are a cost-effective and scalable alternative to pharmacological treatment. Future research should examine the long-term effects of eBook clubs and consider how they can be integrated with other therapeutic activities to optimize their impact on residents’ wellbeing.
Racism drives HIV epidemic in the United States through unequal access to health care and sexual segregation
Zang X, Sui Y, Bessey S, Van TM, Tookes HE, Marshall BD, Nosyk B; Localized Economic Modeling Group. On the compounding manifestations of racism shaping the US HIV/AIDS epidemic: Why Ending the HIV Epidemic must address these factors for success. AIDS. Published online 2025.
Despite an overall decrease in the rate of new HIV cases in the US over the past twenty years, the racial and ethnic divide in those diagnoses has only increased. Evidence points towards two main factors; unequal access to health care and increased sexual racism and social segregation leading to reduced racial mixing during sex. To determine the exact influence of both factors, Advancing Health’s Dr. Bohdan Nosyk, mathematical modeler Dr. Yi Sui, and health economist Tri Van and US collaborators used two mathematical models to predict HIV rates in men who have sex with men across Georgia, USA. While the two models utilized different ways of stratifying risk, they both made similar predictions over the next decade: improved access to health services caused a decrease in HIV rates but the decline was lower in both Black and Hispanic/Latino populations. It was only when sexual mixing between populations was randomized that major decreases in rates of new HIV cases were seen in these groups. This supports previous research suggesting that racially segregated sexual mixing is a key driver of disparities in HIV incidence, speaking to complex networks of both social and structural racism at play. This modelling underscores how racial minorities still face significant barriers to health care in the US, and that this is directly contributing to the ongoing HIV epidemic. However, reducing HIV rates among Black and Latino populations also requires concerted efforts to combat racism, both in the context of sexual relationships and beyond. Future research should investigate interventions to improve equitable health care access and racial network integration.
