– Pearce joins NHL Hall-of-Famer, Henrik Lundqvist, to educate patients and caregivers about the importance of accurate and early diagnosis of recurrent pericarditis, a chronic autoinflammatory disease of the heart that is often underdiagnosed or misdiagnosed –
LONDON, April 30, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Kiniksa Pharmaceuticals International, plc (Nasdaq: KNSA) (Kiniksa), a biopharmaceutical company developing and commercializing novel therapies for diseases with unmet need, with a focus on cardiovascular indications, has partnered with Country Music Association, Academy of Country Music, and GRAMMY Award-winning country star, Carly Pearce, to share her personal experience with recurrent pericarditis and encourage self-advocacy through Kiniksa’s Life DisRPted campaign. Pearce announced that she was diagnosed with recurrent pericarditis while on tour in 2024, after experiencing multiple flares over the previous four years.
“It wasn't until my fourth recurrent pericarditis flare — after seeing many doctors and receiving various diagnoses — that I was finally accurately diagnosed with recurrent pericarditis. During this time, it wasn’t only the symptoms that took a toll on me, but also the fear of the next flare. I remember thinking, ‘I'm afraid to get on the airplane,’ and ‘I'm afraid to get on the stage, because what if it happens again?’” said Pearce, Grand Ole Opry and Kentucky Music Hall of Fame member. “My hope is that through my work on the Life DisRPted campaign, I inspire others to advocate for themselves, share their symptoms, and not wait to talk to their doctors.”
“Greater awareness is the first step to earlier diagnosis and intervention, which is critical for protecting patients from unnecessary suffering and future recurrent pericarditis flares,” said Sanj K. Patel, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Kiniksa. “Carly understands the physical and emotional toll of this disease firsthand, and we are honored to help her share her powerful story. By providing information on recognizing symptoms, understanding the disease, and accessing appropriate care, our goal is to empower patients with the tools to take control back from recurrent pericarditis.”
Patients experiencing recurrent pericarditis flares, characterized by chest pain but often also tiredness, shortness of breath, or inability to exercise as much as normal, suffer wide-ranging effects on quality of life, physical activity, and overall well-being. Recurrent pericarditis can be challenging to diagnose since many different conditions can cause similar symptoms, and recurrent pericarditis may not be the obvious diagnosis.
First launched in October 2024 featuring Henrik Lundqvist, former National Hockey League goaltender and Hockey Hall-of-Fame inductee, Life DisRPted is a national campaign focused on raising awareness of recurrent pericarditis, its impact on quality of life, and the critical importance of early diagnosis. Through Life DisRPted, Pearce is sharing her personal journey with recurrent pericarditis in a video titled “The Power of Knowing,” helping to shed light on the realities of living with the disease and the importance of self-advocacy. The video is available on LifeDisRPted.com, which also features a downloadable Doctor Discussion Guide to help patients prepare for conversations with their healthcare providers.
To hear Carly Pearce’s story, visit LifeDisRPtedCarly.com
About Recurrent Pericarditis
Recurrent pericarditis is a painful and debilitating chronic autoinflammatory cardiovascular disease marked by inflammation of the pericardium and is often associated with changes in electrical conduction and sometimes buildup of fluid around the heart, called pericardial effusion. Recurrent pericarditis symptoms have an impact on quality of life, limit physical activities, and lead to frequent emergency department visits and hospitalizations. Data show that approximately 40,000 patients in the U.S. seek and receive treatment for recurrent pericarditis each year. Of that group, approximately 14,000 patients experience two or more recurrences due to persistent underlying disease or inadequate response to conventional therapies, such as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), colchicine, and corticosteroids.
About Kiniksa
Kiniksa is a biopharmaceutical company dedicated to improving the lives of patients suffering from debilitating diseases by discovering, acquiring, developing, and commercializing novel therapies for diseases with unmet need, with a focus on cardiovascular indications. Kiniksa’s portfolio of assets is based on strong biologic rationale or validated mechanisms and offers the potential for differentiation. For more information, please visit www.kiniksa.com.
About Carly Pearce
Fiercely rooted in the classics, GRAMMY Award-winning singer-songwriter Carly Pearce lit a fire with her debut album Every Little Thing and the PLATINUM-certified history-making title track, and she hasn’t slowed down since. With the praised release of her highly anticipated fourth album, hummingbird (June 7, Big Machine Records), Pearce continues to resonate with her honest lyrics and timeless musicality. The critically acclaimed album includes the blazing “truck on fire” as well as lead single “we don’t fight anymore” (featuring Chris Stapleton) which earned Pearce her second GRAMMY nomination for Best Country Duo/Group Performance and fifth Top 5 Country Radio hit. On March 14th, Pearce released hummingbird: no rain, no flowers, a deluxe edition of the album with five new tracks and is currently performing the new music on her headlining hummingbird world tour. Previously, her critically acclaimed and commercially lauded third studio album 29 produced Country Radio chart toppers including “Never Wanted to Be That Girl” with Ashley McBryde which gave Pearce her second consecutive ACM Music Event of the Year in 2022 and marked the third duet between two solo women to top Billboard’s Country Airplay chart. The song also took home the 2022 CMA Musical Event of the Year and won a GRAMMY Award for Best Country Duo/Group Performance, marking Pearce’s first, and making history as the first female pairing to win in the category. In addition, Pearce’s 3x PLATINUM-certified “I Hope You’re Happy Now” with Lee Brice won both the 2020 CMA Awards Musical Event and 2021 ACM Awards Music Event, plus ACM Single of the Year. Both a Grand Ole Opry and Kentucky Music Hall of Fame member, Pearce recently made her 100th performance at the Grand Ole Opry. For more information, visit CarlyPearce.com.
Every Second Counts! ®
Kiniksa Investor Contact
Jonathan Kirshenbaum
(781) 829-3949
jkirshenbaum@kiniksa.com
Kiniksa Media Contact
Tyler Gagnon
(781) 431-9100
tgagnon@kiniksa.com
Carly Pearce Media Contacts
Erica Gerard
erica.gerard@fullcov.com
Avery Robinson
avery.robinson@fullcov.com
A video accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/6d3f6284-9736-4ce2-91e2-2c3934f93925
