Eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis (EGPA) challenge

 

Together with GSK Spain and Hospital La Paz in Madrid, co-creators of the 2025 Open Innovation Challenge we aim to unveil some of the unmet needs in eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis (EGPA).

2024/2025 Challenge

Identifying the unmet needs in eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis disease (EGPA).

Eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis(EGPA) is a rare and complex immune-mediated inflammatory disease. It can cause significant damage to multiple organs, including lungs, upper airway, skin, heart, gastrointestinal tract, and nerves. Without proper treatment, EPGA may be fatal, underscoring the critical need for early and accurate diagnosis.

Unique Characteristics of EGPA

While EGPA is a form of antineutrophil cytoplasm antibody (ANCA)-associated vasculitis (AAV), it stands apart due to its combination of vasculitis and eosinophilic features. These distinctive aspects demand specialised, targeted therapies that differ from treatments for other AVV conditions.

Patients with EGPA face significant hurdles:

  • Delayed diagnosis: due to its rarity and heterogeneous presentation, EGPA often goes unrecognised for years. The average form initial symptoms to diagnosis is approximately 9 years.
  • Diagnostic complexity: a lack of specific criteria and reliable biomarkers makes it difficult for healthcare professionals to differentiate EGPA from other similar conditions. This leads to multiple referrals, misdiagnoses, and inappropriate treatments.
  • Increased morbidity: Delays in accurate diagnosis and treatment contribute to avoidable complications and reduces quality of life.

Challenge co-creators

The team

Meet the team behind the challenge co-creators, GSK SpainHospital Universitario La Paz and EIT Health.

“At GSK, we are committed to improving the lives of patients with rare diseases such as GEPA. This collaboration allows us to join forces to address the unmet needs of these patients. We seek to help professionals achieve more accurate diagnoses that can significantly improve patients’ quality of life and we hope that this partnership will lead to significant advances in the management of this disease.”

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“GSK is committed to contributing to the sustainable transformation of the healthcare system by identifying new opportunities to positively impact patient health and address critical medical challenges. This innovation initiative provides us with an ideal platform to explore innovative solutions for Eosinophilic Granulomatosis with Polyangiitis (EGPA), in collaboration with key ecosystem partners such as Hospital La Paz, SERMAS and EIT Health.”

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“EGPA presents complex management challenges and we believe that multidisciplinary collaboration is key to overcoming them. With this collaboration, we aim to improve outcomes for patients with EGPA and establish an effective model of cooperation between key players in the ecosystem. We are excited about the potential of this alliance to transform the approach to EGPA treatment and improve the quality of life for people living with EGPA.”

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“Vasculitides (including Eosinophilic Granulomatosis with Polyangiitis, EGPA) are rare and difficult to diagnose diseases that cause great morbidity to patients. Their treatment is complex and involves the introduction of immunosuppressive drugs with relevant side effects. Identifying biological markers or patterns that allow earlier diagnosis, as well as determining more personalized treatments, can be of great help to these patients. The collaboration with the pharmaceutical company Glaxo, involved in drugs for these patients and relevant in therapy for patients with immune diseases, will allow the expansion of knowledge and the generation of solutions for better diagnosis and personalized treatment of patients with APEG. Alongside this the structure of EIT Health offers us an accessible innovation ecosystem and helps us to discover solutions for specific disease problems.”

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