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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…

Xentria has raised $25 million in funding to further the development of XTMAB-16, its experimental antibody therapy for sarcoidosis. The funding will allow for the launch of a global clinical trial of XTMAB-16 in sarcoidosis patients, planned to start early next year. “I am excited about this…

A new type of biochemical analysis called ACE phenotyping may help diagnose sarcoidosis involvement outside the lungs, a study proposes. “We believe that our method allows for the noninvasive detection of patients with systemic sarcoidosis,” the researchers wrote. The study, “Predictive potential of ACE phenotyping in…

About 35 out of every 100,000 people with private insurance in the U.S. are estimated to have sarcoidosis, and most disease clusters are located near urban areas on the East Coast, a new study shows. However, most of these clusters disappeared when controlling for race, “suggesting that geographical racial…

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.

The Ann Theodore Foundation and the Milken Institute have awarded more than $3 million to six research teams nationwide to study sarcoidosis topics ranging from risk factors for the poorly understood disease to its underlying mechanisms. The Ann Theodore Foundation Breakthrough Sarcoidosis Initiative grant program seeks to understand…

Cardiac sarcoidosis may occur more frequently among people who are not current or past smokers, a study has found. The study, “Negative association of smoking history with clinically manifest cardiac sarcoidosis: a case-control study,” was published in CJC Open. Cardiac sarcoidosis is an inflammatory disease that occurs when clumps…

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 chance of developing sarcoidosis is nearly halved in those with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), a sleeping disorder wherein breathing slows or stops repeatedly and for short times during sleep, according to a large study involving U.S. veterans. The findings point to OSA as a protective factor for sarcoidosis.

Patients with sarcoidosis of the heart, called cardiac sarcoidosis, with no other organ involved have more advanced symptoms at their first doctor visit than those with prior involvement of organs other than the heart, a study found. With time, they also develop a type of irregular heartbeat called ventricular…