The first week of February, I turned 35. It was a typical, uneventful adult birthday — especially because it fell on a Monday. I happened to be traveling back from a weekend of out-of-state work, so besides some good wishes from family and friends, there wasn’t a huge celebration. (At…
Life milestones look different when you have vasculitis
Tavneos (avacopan) effectively reverses severe kidney disease associated with ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV) compared with standard steroid therapy, according to a subgroup analysis of the Phase 3 ADVOCATE clinical trial. Greater improvements in kidney function with Tavneos were sustained for the two months of follow-up after the treatment stopped.
Living with a rare disease, by its nature, is isolating. According to the National Organization for Rare Disorders, a rare disease is one that affects fewer than 200,000 Americans. There are currently over 7,000 such diseases. I’ve lived with ANCA vasculitis, a subset of autoimmune diseases that affects…
Tavneos (avacopan) has been approved in Australia as an add-on oral therapy for adults with two main types of ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV): microscopic polyangiitis (MPA) and granulomatosis polyangiitis (GPA). The approval from Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration specifically covers the use of Tavneos in combination with rituximab or…
Rates of relapse, and mortality, are higher in people with eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis (EGPA) that affects the gastrointestinal (GI) tract — and periods of remission less likely — relative to EGPA patients without GI involvement, according to a study in China. Those with GI involvement also presented with…
Preventive, or prophylactic treatment with certain antibiotics can reduce the risk of severe infections for people with ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV) who are receiving immunosuppressive treatment, a new analysis shows. Specifically, good results were found in a clinical trial with a combination of antibiotics known as TMP/SMX. “This … is…
When the world outside of your head becomes overwhelming and you need to cling to something for support, where do you find your center? With vasculitis, that world is an unfamiliar one. It’s full of new challenges, new details a patient is obligated to learn for their own…
A combination of rituximab, prednisone, and tacrolimus effectively treated a recurrence of anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic autoantibody (ANCA)-associated vasculitis (AAV) after a kidney transplant, a case study reported. The case highlights the importance of closely monitoring AAV patients on immunosuppressive therapy with belatacept, particularly when a kidney injury follows a kidney…
“This isn’t the life that I planned, but it’s the life that I got,” an athlete friend of mine recently said as he sipped his latte. Now in his 70s, my friend was reflecting on a life he had worked hard for, but which wasn’t quite what he had imagined.
Measuring the number of immune T-cells in urine could be used to help identify kidney damage in people with ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV), a new study suggests. These urinary T-cells also may aid in predicting treatment responses and the risk of future disease relapse. “Their promising potential as noninvasive…
Recent Posts
- New analysis identifies phase-specific relapse risks in AAV treatment
- Sharing with others about vasculitis can strengthen connections
- New nanoparticle approach targets kidney damage in vasculitis
- Study points to 2 biomarkers for AAV disease activity, relapse
- Monitoring our kidney health is crucial with ANCA vasculitis