Steve Bryson, PhD, science writer —

In advance of Sarcoidosis Awareness Month in April, the Foundation for Sarcoidosis Research (FSR) and aTyr Pharma will hold a virtual town hall about sarcoidosis and considerations for transitioning from standard corticosteroids to new therapies. The meeting, which is open to anyone, will be held online at…

Researchers have uncovered a network of abnormally activated immune cells and fibroblasts — the primary active cell of connective tissue — within granulomas, the clumps of cells that cause sarcoidosis. The key players in granuloma formation include metabolically reprogrammed immune macrophages, immune T-helper (Th) cells producing pro-inflammatory molecules, and…

Findings of defects in the heart’s right ventricle, as assessed with an MRI scan, can predict the occurrence of cardiovascular events in people with confirmed or suspected cardiac sarcoidosis, a review study showed. Particularly, scarring in the right ventricle muscle was a “strong independent predictor” of sudden heart-related death,…

A Phase 3 clinical trial testing the ability of efzofitimod to safely improve lung function and reduce corticosteroid usage in adults with pulmonary sarcoidosis has dosed its first participant. The aTyr Pharma-sponsored study, dubbed EFZO-FIT, will take place at multiple centers in North America, Europe, and Japan.

Researchers have developed a highly selective and sensitive test to detect neuropilin-2 (NRP2), the therapeutic protein target of efzofitimod, an experimental treatment for pulmonary sarcoidosis by aTyr Pharma. Using immunohistochemical (IHC) detection methods, the new antibody-based tool — created in collaboration with Michael Muders, at the University Hospital…

The Foundation for Sarcoidosis Research (FSR) has awarded pulmonologist Nancy Lin, MD, at National Jewish Health, the FSR Sarcoidosis Research Fellowship for 2022–2024. Her project, “Defining MicroRNA Biomarkers in Sarcoidosis,” has been granted $150,000 over two years to improve the management of people with sarcoidosis through the identification of…

The Foundation for Sarcoidosis Research (FSR) has hosted a virtual session attended by people with pulmonary sarcoidosis and representatives from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). FDA Patient Listening Sessions are small, informal, non-public meetings that discuss medical conditions from a patient’s perspective. The sessions seek to…

aTyr Pharma is launching a Phase 3 clinical trial to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of efzofitimod (ATYR1923) in people with pulmonary sarcoidosis. Expected to begin later this year, the primary goal of the study — dubbed EFZO-FIT — will be a reduction in therapeutic corticosteroids, which…

The risks of death and rejection after heart transplant for people with advanced cardiac sarcoidosis were similar to those of patients who had transplants for other types of heart disease, according to an analysis of a transplant recipient registry. These findings suggest that a heart transplant is a safe…

A protein called neurofilament light chain (NFL), which supports nerve fibers, is elevated in adults with neurosarcoidosis — and appears to increase with more extensive brain inflammation — a study demonstrated. These findings support the neurofilament protein as a biomarker for disease activity in neurosarcoidosis, a form of…