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Who Is a NATPARA Patient?

Shire Patient Ambassadors share their personal journeys

Hypoparathyroidism is a complex disorder, and not every patient is an appropriate candidate for treatment with NATPARA. These profiles from Shire Patient Ambassadors, real NATPARA patients, may help you identify whether you have a patient in your practice who could be appropriate for NATPARA. Always remember that individual experiences and results will vary.

Cece

Cece is in her 50s, a parent, and charity outreach coordinator. She resides in Connecticut.

“I still need to manage my hypoparathyroidism, and I’m thankful to have NATPARA to help me with that. I have been able to decrease my calcium and vitamin D over time.”

Medical History

  • Cece had a thyroidectomy due to thyroid cancer
  • She was diagnosed with chronic hypoparathyroidism 6 months after surgery
  • She underwent 2 years of titration of calcium and active vitamin D
  • Before starting NATPARA, Cece was taking 3000 mg of oral calcium and 0.5 to 1 mcg of active vitamin D per day

Treatment Course With NATPARA

  • Over the course of several months, Cece titrated to 75 mcg of NATPARA, as an adjunct to calcium and vitamin D
  • During titration she kept a detailed journal of how she felt and watched for signs of hypercalcemia or hypocalcemia
  • She has gradually reduced to 1500 mg of oral calcium per day along with 0.25 mcg of active vitamin D
  • Her albumin-corrected total serum calcium has been maintained (8.6 mg/dL)

Melissa

Melissa is in her 50s, a parent, and a microbiologist. She resides in Florida.

“I reached out to the insurance company, and to OnePath, Shire's product support service, for information about co-pay assistance. Everyone I talked to was great and very supportive.”

Medical History

  • Melissa had a thyroidectomy to remove a multinodular goiter
  • She was diagnosed with chronic hypoparathyroidism 1 year after surgery
  • Prior to NATPARA, Melissa was taking 3600 mg of oral calcium and
    2 mcg of active vitamin D daily
  • Her albumin-corrected total serum calcium before NATPARA was
    7.0 to 8.0 mg/dL

Treatment Course With NATPARA

  • Melissa and her endocrinologist researched treatment options and ultimately, she was prescribed NATPARA
  • She was titrated to 75 mcg of NATPARA over the course of several months
  • During titration, she had symptoms of low calcium, including brain fog, numbness, and tingling in her hands and feet
  • Her dose of oral calcium was gradually reduced to 1000 mg per day and no active vitamin D.
  • Her albumin-corrected total serum calcium was measured at 8.7 mg/dL

Kelly

Kelly is in her 50s and has 3 children. She is a health insurance agent and resides in Nebraska.

“When NATPARA arrived at my doorstep, I was excited to get started.”

Medical History

  • Kelly had neck surgeries due to papillary thyroid cancer
  • Kelly was diagnosed with chronic hypoparathyroidism in June 2014
  • Prior to NATPARA, Kelly was taking 3600 to 4800 mg of calcium and 0.75 mcg of active vitamin D
  • Her albumin-corrected total serum calcium before NATPARA was on average 9.5 mg/dL

Treatment Course With NATPARA

  • Kelly’s endocrinologist suggested she take NATPARA
  • She was titrated to 75 mcg of NATPARA over the course of several months
  • During titration she experienced nausea and headaches
  • Her dose of oral calcium was gradually reduced to between 600 and 1200 mg per day with no active vitamin D
  • Her albumin-corrected total serum calcium was measured at ≈9.0 mg/dL

Daralin

Daralin is a 51-year-old former nurse. She resides in Hawaii.

“Hypoparathyroidism has seriously impacted my life. I have to give up some of my favorite activities and I have to really monitor my treatment if I want to stay as healthy as I can; even with NATPARA, I still have to keep a close eye on my calcium levels.”

Medical History

  • Daralin had a total thyroidectomy due to suspected cancer
  • She was diagnosed with chronic hypoparathyroidism 7 months after surgery
  • Post-thyroidectomy, she took 4000 to 6000 mg of calcium and 0.75 mcg of vitamin D per day
  • Her albumin-corrected total serum calcium was 6.9 mg/dL

Treatment Course With NATPARA

  • Daralin takes 50 mcg of NATPARA per day, as an adjunct to calcium and vitamin D
  • During titration she experienced tingling and nausea
  • She was gradually reduced to ≤500 mg of oral calcium per day and no active vitamin D
  • Her albumin-corrected total serum calcium has been maintained (8.6 mg/dL)

Reference: 1. NATPARA [package insert]. Shire-NPS Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

NATPARA®, OnePath® and Q-Cliq are trademarks or registered trademarks of Shire, a Takeda company.