Tavneos’ use by AAV patients prior to approval support its safety

Tavneos (avacopan) was generally safe and well tolerated in adults with severe ANCA-associated vasculitis treated under a global early access program (EAP) before the therapy’s approval, a study showed. EAPs make investigational therapies available outside clinical trials to people with serious or life-threatening conditions who have few or no…

Concerns about the future, their disease’s social and emotional impact, and bodywide symptoms were prominent among those reported by ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV) patients with low disease activity in a survey study from Mexico. People were responding to the AAV patient-reported outcomes (AAV-PRO) questionnaire, and its specific domains were found to associate…

A gene variant linked to increased production of proteinase-3 (PR3) — one of the targets of disease-causing antibodies in ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV) — is more common among patients with anti-PR3 antibodies than those with antibodies against the myeloperoxidase (MPO) protein, a study showed. The higher blood PR3 levels with this…

Higher blood levels of soluble interleukin 7 receptor subunit alpha (sIL-7R alpha) — a portion of a receptor protein involved in inflammation — significantly associate with lower disease activity in people with ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV), a small study found. These preliminary findings suggest that the soluble receptor protein “can…

Immune T-cells positive for the GPR56 receptor protein — a marker for cell-killing immune cells — may contribute to local tissue damage in ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV) patients whose disease is associated with antibodies against the proteinase 3 (PR3) protein, a study showed. Notably, these cells were more likely to…

Cardiovascular events like a heart attack are more likely in people with ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV) who also have diabetes, a study reported. Other identified risk factors for AAV patients, a group known to be at cardiovascular disease risk, included older age and a prior history of cardiovascular problems. “Treatment…

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…

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…