Steve Bryson, PhD, science writer —

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…

A rare case of sarcoidosis affecting only the spleen was successfully diagnosed using tissue analysis, after imaging scans and lab tests failed, a case study reported. Sarcoidosis should be considered when multiple tumors in the spleen have been detected, the scientists recommended.  The…

A professor at Northwestern University has been awarded a $50,000 American Thoracic Society (ATS)/Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals Research Grant to study the role of immune macrophages in the development of sarcoidosis. Sarcoidosis is a complex immune disease characterized by the accumulation of immune cells such as macrophages,…

Three months of treatment with the common, generic antibiotic azithromycin safely reduced the number of coughs and cough severity, and improved the quality of life in adults with pulmonary sarcoidosis, a small, exploratory study concluded.  The findings…