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Cells of the innate immune system called monocytes can be useful biomarkers to predict the outcomes of people with sarcoidosis, a recent study has found. The findings showed that patients with low levels of blood monocytes at diagnosis were more likely to achieve remission after two years and had…

An association has been found between active sarcoidosis, inflammation, and the presence of low levels of white blood cells, called lymphocytes, that are involved in immune defense. This finding, by researchers at the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC), could be the first step toward the development of a new biomarker…

Many diseases have their own awareness color — breast cancer is pink, muscular dystrophy is green, and AIDS is red, for example — but what’s the significance of pink, green, blue, and purple lights side-by-side? These are the colors most often used to represent Rare Disease Day. This…

Xentria is seeking regulatory approval to begin clinical trials to test XTMAB-16, its investigational TNF-alpha inhibitor for the treatment of sarcoidosis. Xentria submitted the request — in the form of an investigational new drug (IND) application — to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Feb. 26. The…

Diagnosed with sickle cell disease as a 6-month-old, Tristan Lee has faced a lot of challenges over his 37 years of life. But from a young age, he also learned how to turn those trials into triumphs. At age 9, a stroke due to his disease left him paralyzed…

The Foundation for Sarcoidosis Research is urging adults with sarcoidosis to participate in a new study that will investigate how lymphocytes — one of the main types of immune cells found in the body — control inflammation and if this level of control is part of the reason…

Rare Disease Day at NIH, organized by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and taking place on March 1, will feature panel discussions, patient stories, research updates, TED-style talks, and a presentation by a Nobel laureate recently recognized for her work on a gene editing tool. The free, virtual…

Protalix Biotherapeutics and SarcoMed USA have entered into an exclusive worldwide license agreement to advance PRX-110 (alidornase alfa) as a treatment of pulmonary sarcoidosis and other respiratory diseases. “Most patients with pulmonary sarcoidosis do not show symptoms and do not realize they have the disease until it has…

People with rare disorders have a worse healthcare experience than those affected by chronic diseases, according to the results of an international survey conducted by Eurordis-Rare Diseases Europe. Indeed, rare disease patients overall give their healthcare experience a medium-low rating, of 2.5 on a scale of 1 to 5,…

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has accepted and granted priority review to an application for Esbriet (pirfenidone) as a treatment for unclassifiable interstitial lung disease (UILD). The supplemental new drug application was submitted by Genentech, Esbriet’s developer and a member of the Roche Group, based on…