Andrea Lobo, PhD,  science writer—

Andrea Lobo holds a PhD in cell biology/neurosciences from the University of Coimbra-Portugal, where she studied stroke biology. As a research scientist for 19 years, Andrea participated in academic projects in multiple research fields, from stroke, gene regulation, cancer, and rare diseases. She has authored multiple research papers in peer-reviewed journals.

Articles by Andrea Lobo

Rituximab may raise risks of adverse events in AAV: Study

Rituximab may be associated with a higher risk of serious adverse events, particularly infections, in people with granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA) or microscopic polyangiitis (MPA). Time to first serious adverse event, as well as to second and multiple serious adverse events, is significantly shorter for patients treated with rituximab…

Treating ANCA-associated vasculitis with rituximab tied to HGG risk

ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV) patients treated with rituximab are up to four times more likely to develop hypogammaglobulinemia (HGG), or low blood levels of antibodies that help fight off infections, than people with other autoimmune conditions. That’s according to a real-world study in China that also found that higher…

Rituximab treatment more effective than cyclophosphamide for GPA

Treatment with rituximab is superior to cyclophosphamide at inducing disease remission in people with granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA), according to a single-center study in Iran. While the safety profiles of the two therapies were comparable, treatment with rituximab was more effective, the study found. Specifically, about 90% of…

1 in 4 patients may relapse on rituximab maintenance, study finds

About a quarter of people with granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA) or microscopic polyangiitis (MPA) under maintenance treatment with rituximab experience relapses, mainly during the first two years. That’s according to a real-world study in Greece that looked at data from 101 people with GPA or MPA, the two most common…

Set of clinical red flags identified as checklist for possible EGPA

Researchers have identified a set of clinical red flags that could help detect eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis (EGPA), the rarest type of ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV). Among the red flags are specific high-level thresholds of eosinophils, a type of immune cell, combined with other signs including asthma, nasal polyps,…

Eye symptoms linked to AAV most common in GPA patients: Study

Eye symptoms related to ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV) are most common among those with granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA), affecting more than one-third of these patients, a new study from China showed. “These insights collectively underscore the importance of consistent ocular [eye-related] assessments for AAV patients, enabling the monitoring of disease…

Tavneos found safe, effective for AAV patients in real-world study

Adding Tavneos (avacopan) to standard maintenance treatment safely and effectively promotes disease remission in ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV) patients, according to a real-world study involving five German centers. In fact, remission rates after one year of Tavneos treatment were higher than those reported in the Phase 3 ADVOCATE…

Large-vessel involvement in AAV tied to neurological manifestations

ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV) patients with neurological manifestations are more than three times more likely to have large blood vessel involvement (LVI), according to a multicenter study in France and Belgium. Data also showed that LVI most commonly affected the aorta — the large artery that delivers oxygen-rich blood to…