News

Maintenance therapy with Rituxan (rituximab) is superior to standard care with azathioprine for preventing disease relapses in patients with ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV) who had achieved remission, results of a Phase 3 trial suggest. These data were disclosed in an oral presentation, titled “A Randomized,…

Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) — DNA specific to mitochondria, the cell’s powerhouses — may be used as a urinary biomarker of kidney damage in people with ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV), according to a Chinese study. The study, “Urinary mitochondrial DNA is a useful biomarker for assessing kidney injury…

An instrument that assesses the nutritional status of individuals can be used to predict the prognosis of patients with ANCA-associated vasculitis, a study suggests. The study, “Controlling Nutritional Status Score is Associated with All-Cause Mortality in Patients with Antineutrophil Cytoplasmic Antibody-Associated Vasculitis,” was published in the…

Despite skyrocketing healthcare costs, President Trump is committed to protecting the 30 million or so Americans with rare diseases and ensuring timely, affordable access to lifesaving treatments, the nation’s highest-ranking health official said. “We have to think about how our financing system can protect those with serious and rare illnesses.

ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV) patients have lower levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL), or “bad cholesterol,” when compared to people without the disease, a study suggests. These differences seemed to dissipate over time, which suggests a link between inflammatory status and LDL levels. Researchers advise more research is needed to…

Work productivity of people with ANCA-associated vasculitis is influenced by their disease activity, the extent of organ damage, and their health-related quality of life, a study reports. The findings were presented in a poster, titled “Association of Work Productivity Assessed by Absenteeism and Presenteeism with Disease Activity, Damage…

Avacopan (CCX168) can effectively improve remission rates, kidney function, and overall quality of life of patients with anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA)-associated vasculitis (AAV), compared with standard therapy with steroids, according to top-line results from a pivotal Phase 3 clinical trial.   ChemoCentryx and its collaborator, Vifor…

Being a former or current cigarette smoker significantly increases the risk of developing ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV), data from a large U.S. study show. This association was particularly  strong in patients with antibodies against myeloperoxidase (MPO). The abstract with the findings, titled “Cigarette Smoking Is a…

High-dose glucocorticoids — a type of corticosteroid hormone — are commonly prescribed as part of remission-induction therapy to people with ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV) in Europe, a retrospective study reports. The majority of the patients remained on glucocorticoids for over a year, but only a minority reached full…

Rare disease-themed videos glowed on a large screen before an audience of people in wheelchairs, with crutches, and bearing oxygen tanks this Nov. 9 and 10 in San Francisco. Disorder: The Rare Disease Film Festival strives to eventually host a film about every one of the nearly 7,000 rare…