Lindsey Shapiro, PhD, science writer —

Only about half of sarcoidosis patients showing signs of muscle disease, or myopathy, have the small clumps of immune cells in their muscles that characterize sarcoidosis, a study showed. When these clumps, called granulomas, weren’t present with muscle symptoms, myopathy was most often linked to inclusion body myositis (IBM),…

The European Commission (EC) has granted orphan drug designation to aTyr Pharma’s lead therapeutic candidate efzofitimod for treating sarcoidosis. Orphan drug status is granted to investigational therapies that show significant potential for treating chronic or life-threatening disease that affect no more than five in 10,000 people in the…

Infliximab — marketed as Remicade and biosimilars — had steroid-sparing effects superior to methotrexate in the treatment of cardiac sarcoidosis, a small study found. The success rate of a tapering course of corticosteroids was significantly better when infliximab was added to the regimen than when the steroid was used…

XTMAB-16, Xentria‘s investigational antibody-based therapy for treating sarcoidosis, was able to reduce the formation of granulomas — the abnormal clumps of immune cells that mark the disease — in a patient-derived cell model of granuloma, the company reported. The data were presented in a poster titled “XTMAB-16…

A rare occurrence of sarcoidosis in male breast tissue was observed in an American man, according to a recent case report. The report, “A Rare Case of Sarcoidosis Involving Male Breast Tissue,” was published in the Cureus Journal of Medical Science. Sarcoidosis is characterized by…

aTyr Pharma has received positive feedback from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in a meeting to discuss the regulatory development of its lead candidate, efzofitimod (ATYR1923), for the treatment of pulmonary sarcoidosis. After a review of data provided by aTyr, including results from a recently completed…

The Foundation for Sarcoidosis Research (FSR) is now accepting applications for fellowships supporting early career clinicians and researchers focused on sarcoidosis. The deadline is March 15, the foundation announced. The two-year grants will provide a total of $150,000 to selected fellows, with…