How Yorvipath gave a first patient in Ireland a second chance
I talk to my friend Debz Leavey about her hypoparathyroidism journey
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Note: This column describes the experiences of a columnist and/or an interviewee with several therapies, including Yorvipath (palopegteriparatide), Calci-Chew (chewable calcium carbonate), One-Alpha (alfacalcidol), and Forteo (teriparatide). Not everyone will have the same response to treatment. Consult your doctor before starting or stopping a therapy.
When I started my journey in an expanded clinical trial of Yorvipath, one of my biggest cheerleaders was my friend Debz Leavey, a fellow hypoparathyroidism patient in Ireland. We talked often about the process and what I was experiencing.
Debz’s hypoparathyroidism presented differently from mine, and she struggled severely with stability. She would often send me messages from a hospital bed.
It was our dream that she would find a way to access Yorvipath as soon as possible in the hope that she’d find stability and experience life-threatening symptoms less often. In October 2025, she became the first patient in Ireland to start the therapy, and to date remains the only person taking it there.
We recently discussed her Yorvipath journey, and excerpts of our conversation follow.
HN: Can you share a little about yourself and your hypopara diagnosis? What was life like before Yorvipath?
DL: I started experiencing symptoms of hypopara in 2018, and despite multiple [blood calcium level] drops and [hospital] admissions, was only diagnosed in 2020, at age 30. I have a genetic cause called Barakat syndrome. I was going into renal failure from Calci-Chew (chewable calcium carbonate) and One-Alpha (alfacalcidol), so was placed on Forteo (teriparatide) parathyroid hormone replacement therapy in January 2021.
[Note: Forteo is a short-acting osteoporosis medication, and is considered off-label use for hypopara. It’s occasionally used by hypopara patients who don’t have alternatives.]
Forteo worked great as a once-a-day injection for seven months. Then I caught a virus and developed hypocalcemia, and spent the next year pretty much IV calcium-dependent, even with increasing the injection to three times daily. In August 2022, I got a diabetic pump to deliver Forteo.
This improved my control slightly but still caused a week of highs [hypercalcemia] each month and a week of lows [hypocalcemia] from having to stop Forteo during high weeks. I was on the pump until October 2025, and spent those three years admitted to the hospital at least one week per month. It was horrific. By February 2025, I had to leave work.
How long have you been on Yorvipath? What changes have you noticed? Can you share a bit about your journey to accessing the medication?
In October 2025, I was finally approved for the use of Yorvipath in Ireland on a patient-specific funding program. The day before I started, I had a bad low [hypocalcemia] and went into tetany. I haven’t had a low since my first injection on Oct. 14.
Getting Yorvipath took two years of fighting [the Health Service Executive]. It was eventually agreed upon after multiple episodes of sepsis due to needing access for IV calcium on the regular. They realized it was the difference between me dying or not.
We are awaiting [approval from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence] for general access, which will hopefully happen in the next year, and open it up to more patients in need. Pre-Yorvipath, I had daily bone pain, muscle spasms, and severe fatigue. I regularly went into tetany, despite the constant administration of Forteo through my pump. Since starting Yorvipath, my bone pain is so infrequent, maybe once every few weeks. My fatigue is gone, and I rarely go into spasm. My quality of life has improved by 300%.
Any advice for patients who are struggling?
Stay hopeful. I had lost all hope of ever having control of my hypopara again. I succumbed to being a constant patient and felt out of control of my body.
It’s been over three months since I started the medication, and I can see light at the end of my tunnel. My symptoms are so much better, everything is better. So even if you’re feeling hopeless, just know that I was where you are, and now I feel like I have a second chance at life. I believe it’s a game-changer for hypopara, and I hope everyone who needs it and can be treated with it gets access soon.
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A huge thank you to Debz for taking the time to share her journey. It’s been incredible witnessing how much her life has changed in only a few months now that she has access to better disease treatment. I often say Yorvipath gave me a second chance at life, too.
Debz Leavey shares her journey regularly on her Instagram page BeingRareInIreland.
Note: Hypoparathyroidism News is a strictly news and information website about the disease. It does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. This content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or another qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website. The opinions expressed in this column are not those of Hypoparathyroidism News or its parent company, Bionews, and are intended to spark discussion about issues pertaining to hypoparathyroidism.
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