News

Lung, ENT Involvement, Steroid Use Reduced With Tavneos: ADVOCATE

Tavneos (avacopan) reduced respiratory, ear, nose, and throat (ENT) involvement among people with ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV), but did not significantly outperform prednisone in its ability to do so, according to a substudy of the larger Phase 3 ADVOCATE trial. The treatment also significantly lowered patients’ reliance on glucocorticoid…

Relapses Less Likely in Patients With Past Autoimmune Disorder: Study

People with a past history of autoimmune disease before developing ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV) have significantly fewer relapses after achieving remission, a study reported. Post-remission chances of a relapse were 67% lower in these AAV patients and took longer to occur, findings showed. Its researchers argued that these results support a…

Heart Biopsy May Help Diagnose EGPA in ANCA-negative Cases

A biopsy of heart muscle may aid in the diagnosis of eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis (EGPA) with cardiac involvement in patients negative for antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (ANCAs) and with a negative skin biopsy, a case study suggests. The study, “Endomyocardial biopsy facilitates diagnosis of…

Organizations Rally to Help Ukrainian Rare Disease Patients

A Russian military plane crash near Tetiana Zamorska’s home in Kyiv, Ukraine, was a sign that it was time for her and her family to leave. The treacherous, 34-hour pilgrimage that ultimately brought the group of eight by car to temporary accommodations in neighboring Poland last month was physically and emotionally difficult,…

Canada OKs Tavneos as Add-on Treatment for MPA and GPA

Health Canada has approved the oral medicine Tavneos (avacopan) as an add-on therapy to treat adults with severe ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV). The approval specifically covers the use of Tavneos to treat granulomatosis polyangiitis (GPA) and microscopic polyangiitis (MPA), the two main types of AAV, in combination with…