News

In severe ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV), rituximab may be superior to cyclophosphamide at helping people survive beyond 10 years and achieve remission, while reducing the need for standard corticosteroids. These are the findings of a Japanese real-world study that also found rituximab was not associated with any infection-related deaths,…

Being male, being 55 or older, having evidence of kidney damage, and having nervous system involvement are independently associated with a higher risk of relapse and death in people with granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA), according to a study in Iran. “Awareness of this information can lead to better understanding…

Fasenra (benralizumab) provides meaningful benefits for people with eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis (EGPA), including those testing positive for self-reactive antibodies called ANCAs, according to a systematic review of real-world data. Specifically, Fasenra was associated with sustained remission rates, significant corticosteroid-sparing effects, and reductions in symptoms related to the respiratory…

The most common types of ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV) show distinctive activity patterns of type I interferons (IFN-I), a group of immune signaling molecules, suggesting a possible route for individualized monitoring and treatment strategies, a study reports. People with microscopic polyangiitis (MPA) and associated kidney disease had more IFN-I…

An increase in blood levels of a self-reactive antibody called MPO-ANCA predicted the return of ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV) symptoms within months in most patients in a Belgian study. None of the patients whose MPO-ANCA levels decreased and remained undetectable in blood experienced relapses, data showed. “Monitoring MPO-ANCA levels in…

A reduced dose of obinutuzumab, an immunosuppressant approved for certain blood cancers, safely helped most adults with ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV) achieve sustained disease remission, while reducing their need for standard glucocorticoids. That’s according to a single-center study in China involving 12 adults with hard-to-treat AAV and four adults with…

About half of the patients who began dialysis due to kidney disease from ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV) could stop it within a year, with outcomes improving further in those treated with plasma exchange, a procedure that removes harmful antibodies from the blood, according to a study. “The need for dialysis…

A combination of rituximab (sold as Rituxan and biosimilars) and low-dose glucocorticoids may safely stabilize interstitial lung disease (ILD) related to ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV), according to a small proof-of-concept study by researchers in Italy. After a year of this therapeutic regimen, the study’s participants saw a significant reduction…

People with ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV) are at a higher risk of developing certain types of cancer, particularly bladder, blood, kidney, and skin cancers, according to a meta-analysis of published studies. Men with AAV had a significantly elevated risk — 2.1 times higher — while no such increase was observed in…

Tavneos (avacopan) plus a short course of glucocorticoids is as effective as glucocorticoids alone for treating rapidly progressive glomerulonephritis (RPGN), a severe kidney disease, in adults with ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV), a study reports. “At month 6, patients receiving [Tavneos] and transient or low doses of GCs [glucocorticoids] have…