Toni Braxton and Aurinia Want People with Lupus Nephritis to Get Uncomfortable to Protect their Kidneys

Braxton, a seven-time Grammy Award-winning singer, songwriter, actress, producer, and entrepreneur, will share her personal lupus journey to empower people with lupus and lupus nephritis to prioritize their kidney health as part of Aurinia’s Get Uncomfortable campaign

The Get Uncomfortable campaign is designed to educate and motivate people living with lupus nephritis to protect their kidneys by going to the doctor and completing routine testing to help prevent irreversible kidney damage

EDMONTON, Alberta--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Toni Braxton, the award-winning singer, songwriter, actress, producer, and entrepreneur is speaking out about living with lupus and the importance of prioritizing kidney health. In partnership with Aurinia Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ: AUPH), a biopharmaceutical company committed to changing the trajectory of autoimmune disease, Braxton hopes to inspire people living with lupus nephritis – a serious and common complication of lupus that can lead to permanent kidney damage or kidney failure – to see their doctor regularly to complete routine testing and discuss kidney health and treatment options.

Braxton, who was diagnosed with lupus in 2008, will share her story about life with lupus and how she had to embrace uncomfortable moments to effectively manage her kidney health and prevent life-threatening complications.

“Getting routine urine tests and seeing a doctor regularly is so important because up to 30 percent of people with lupus who have kidney involvement will experience kidney failure,” said Toni Braxton. “While peeing in a cup is never comfortable, it is so much better than a kidney transplant or dialysis. During the past 15 years, I’ve learned to prioritize my kidney care and to be a strong advocate for my health – and I’m speaking out now to encourage other women to do the same.”

Braxton’s partnership with Aurinia is part of the “Get Uncomfortable” campaign, which focuses on empowering people with lupus nephritis to make their kidney health a top priority. The campaign depicts highly relatable—although sometimes uncomfortable—situations involved in routine monitoring of lupus nephritis and highlights the importance of protecting the kidneys by staying ahead of irreversible kidney damage.

“As part of our ongoing commitment to raising awareness for lupus nephritis, we are thrilled to partner with Toni Braxton on the Get Uncomfortable campaign. Since launching in October 2022, the Get Uncomfortable campaign has reached thousands of patients with important information about routine urine testing and treatment options to support informed discussions with their healthcare team. Toni’s relatable and authentic story about living with lupus will further inspire people living with lupus nephritis to better understand their health risks and take action to protect their kidneys before it’s too late,” said Peter Greenleaf, President and Chief Executive Officer of Aurinia.

Aurinia is committed to helping people to take charge of their lupus nephritis, which disproportionately impacts women of color. Black and Asian women are four times more likely to develop it, and Hispanic and Native American women are twice as likely to develop it compared to non-Hispanic White women. The risk of death is three times greater for people with lupus nephritis than for other people with lupus without kidney involvement. By encouraging doctor visits and routine monitoring through urine and blood tests, Aurinia hopes to help people with lupus nephritis avoid further permanent kidney damage and kidney failure.

To learn more visit www.getuncomfortable.com. Toni Braxton will also be sharing information about the Get Uncomfortable campaign on her social media channels.

About Lupus Nephritis

Lupus nephritis (LN) is a serious manifestation of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), a chronic and complex autoimmune disease. About 200,000-300,000 people live with SLE in the U.S. and about one-third of these people are diagnosed with lupus nephritis at the time of their SLE diagnosis. About 50 percent of all people with SLE may develop lupus nephritis. If poorly controlled, LN can lead to permanent and irreversible tissue damage within the kidney. Black and Asian individuals with SLE are four times more likely to develop LN and individuals of Hispanic ancestry are approximately twice as likely to develop the disease when compared with White people with SLE. Black and Hispanic individuals with SLE also tend to develop LN earlier and have poorer outcomes when compared to White people with SLE.

About Aurinia

Aurinia Pharmaceuticals is a fully integrated biopharmaceutical company focused on delivering therapies to treat targeted patient populations that are impacted by serious diseases with a high unmet medical need. In January 2021, the Company introduced LUPKYNIS® (voclosporin), the first FDA-approved oral therapy for the treatment of adult patients with active lupus nephritis (LN). The Company’s head office is in Edmonton, Alberta, its U.S. commercial hub is in Rockville, Maryland, and the Company focuses its development efforts globally.