News

Respiratory manifestations common, recurrent in pediatric GPA

Most children with granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA) have respiratory manifestations including cough and shortness of breath at diagnosis, and these frequently persist or relapse, according to a study in the U.S. involving 13 pediatric patients. Lung abnormalities were detected in nearly all children with available imaging data at diagnosis…

Variants in SERPINA1 gene may increase risk of death in AAV

People with ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV) who carry certain variants in SERPINA1 — a gene that’s been previously linked to the autoimmune disease — may have a six times higher risk of death than those without such variants. That’s according to new data from a single-center study in Brazil, in…

Rituximab found as effective as cyclophosphamide in AAV children

Treatment with rituximab in children with ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV) is at least non-inferior to the use of cyclophosphamide at inducing disease remission or low disease activity among pediatric patients, according to data from a large international observational study. The researchers noted that rituximab treatment was associated with greater…

Phase 3 trial of Tavneos enrolling children, ages 6-17, with AAV

A new Phase 3 clinical trial is recruiting children and adolescents with active granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA) or microscopic polyangiitis (MPA), the most common types of ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV), to test Tavneos (avacopan) in combination with rituximab or cyclophosphamide. That’s according to a financial update released by…

Fasenra granted approval in EU for hard-to-treat EGPA patients

Fasenra (benralizumab) has been granted approval in the European Union as an add-on treatment for adults with relapsing or treatment-resistant eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis, or EGPA, a rare type of ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV). The clearance of Fasenra, “with its convenient, single-monthly injection is a positive step forward…

Combo maintentance therapy found more effective in severe EGPA

Combination maintenance therapy with Nucala (mepolizumab) and azathioprine may be more effective than either treatment alone at maintaining disease remission and reducing the need for glucocorticoids in people with severe eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis (EGPA). These are the findings of a single-center study in Japan that support the use…