News

Spinal bone fractures a risk, and common, for sarcoidosis patients

Bone fractures, particularly those of the spine, are a common complication among people with sarcoidosis, according to a study that assessed nearly 400 patients. Data showed that sarcoidosis-related lung involvement and reduced lung function were risk factors for major bone fractures. Chest X-rays examining lung involvement, as well as…

Acthar Gel may be cost-effective for treating pulmonary sarcoidosis

Acthar Gel (repository corticotropin injection) may be a cost-effective approach relative to standard-of-care glucocorticoid therapy for adults with advanced active pulmonary sarcoidosis. That’s according to an analysis done by the therapy’s developer Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals, which found that “the initial high cost of Acthar Gel treatment for sarcoidosis…

Biomarker detects multiple organ involvement at sarcoidosis diagnosis

Blood levels of the angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) — a common sarcoidosis biomarker — were able to distinguish between newly diagnosed sarcoidosis patients with single versus multiple organ involvement, a study shows. Also, higher blood levels of interleukin-2 receptor (IL-2R), an inflammatory marker, were linked with multiple organ involvement. ACE…

XTMAB-16 wins orphan drug status in Europe; Phase 1/2 trial begins

The European Medicines Agency (EMA) has granted XTMAB-16, Xentria‘s investigational antibody therapy, orphan drug designation for sarcoidosis. The status is intended to help speed the development of therapies that would fulfill an unmet health need for people with life-threatening or chronically debilitating rare diseases, which are defined as…