Trial Supports Long-term Maintenance Therapy With Rituximab

Continuing maintenance treatment with rituximab for long periods increases the likelihood that people with ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV) remain in remission, without increasing the incidence or severity of adverse events, findings from a Phase 3 trial show. The study, “Long-Term Rituximab Use to Maintain Remission of…

Mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) may be a safe and effective alternative to the standard induction therapy cyclophosphamide in certain ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV) patients, a review study reports. Based on the data, researchers recommend that MMF be used in patients with autoantibodies against myeloperoxidase (MPO), non-life-threatening disease, and those…

InflaRx announced it has fully enrolled the first part of its Phase 2 trial assessing the safety and efficacy of IFX-1 in people with ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV) in Europe. The company also completed a blinded interim analysis into the potential impact of COVID-19 on this…

While the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic won’t have much of an impact on cash available for new biotech startups, it has begun to cause delays in the development of gene therapies to treat a variety of rare diseases. That’s the consensus of industry experts who spoke in a May 26 webinar…

European authorities must step up efforts to screen babies for a multitude of genetic disorders, a panel of experts suggested during a May 14-15 online medical conference. The session was part of the 10th European Conference on Rare Diseases & Orphan Products (ECRD2020) — which was to have occurred…

Eurordis, a Paris-based coalition of national rare disease associations across Europe, hosted its first all-virtual conference, bringing some 1,500 delegates from 57 countries together online during the COVID-19 pandemic. The 10th European Conference on Rare Diseases & Orphan Products (ECRD2020) — which was set for May 14–15 in…

ChemoCentryx is planning to file a request with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) by mid-year seeking approval of avacopan (CCX168) as a treatment for people with ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV), the company said. Its new drug application will be supported by results of the Phase 3 ADVOCATE trial (…

The Rare Diseases Clinical Research Network (RDCRN) has opened an online survey to better understand how the COVID-19 outbreak is affecting people with rare diseases, their families, and caregivers. Survey questions cover a patient’s physical and mental health, supply of treatments, and access to healthcare, among other…

A common blood pressure medication called hydralazine may cause ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV), with a severe impact on both lungs and kidneys in rare instances, a case report shows. The medication has been widely associated with AAV, but reports of severe lung and kidney injury are uncommon. In such…

A rare case of ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV) causing thickening of the dura mater — a protective membrane of the central nervous system (CNS) — was found in a person previously treated for ANCA-associated interstitial lung disease. The case report was detailed in the study, “A…