Scleroderma

Evaluation of Midkine (MDK) and Follistatin-like 3 (FSTL3) protein levels in the blood can help identify patients with systemic sclerosis-associated pulmonary arterial hypertension (SSc-PAH), researchers suggest. The study, “Serum biomarker for diagnostic evaluation of pulmonary arterial hypertension in systemic sclerosis” was published in the journal…

Researchers in Italy developed a clear way of exploring differences in autoantibodies to predict which scleroderma patients are likely to develop pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), improving their chances of getting appropriate treatment before changes in their lung blood vessels take place. The study, “Subspecificities of anticentromeric protein A antibodies identify…

People with connective tissue disease (CTD) and systemic sclerosis-associated pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) who are positive for anti-U1 RNP antibodies have better chances of longer-term survival. The study, “Characteristics and Survival of Anti–U1 RNP Antibody–Positive Patients With Connective Tissue Disease–Associated Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension,” was published in the journal…

Boehringer Ingelheim recently announced the enrollment of the first patient in its global, double-blind, randomized, and placebo-controlled SENSCIS (Safety and Efficacy of Nintedanib in Systemic SClerosIS) Phase 3 clinical trial. The trial (NCT02597933) is now enrolling patients, and is evaluating the safety and the efficacy of nintedanib in patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc)…

Cytori Therapeutics recently published a report of 12-month data from the Scleradec-I clinical trial studying hand dysfunction in people with scleroderma. Findings from the 12 patient trial, which was led by Dr. Brigitte Granel and Dr. Guy Magalon of the Assistance Publique des Hôpitaux de Marseille in France, is titled “Autologous…

Corbus Pharmaceuticals Holdings, Inc., a clinical stage drug development company focused on addressing rare, chronic, and serious inflammatory and fibrotic diseases, recently announced that the US Food and Drug Administration has granted its orally-available CB2 receptor agonist Resunab Fast Track Development status for systemic sclerosis. With the FDA’s Fast Track Designation, Corbus will be…

A variety of biomarkers are elevated in the serum of patients with systemic sclerosis-pulmonary arterial hypertension (SSc-PAH). Researchers have mostly been studying these markers to determine if they can be used to help diagnose SSc-PAH or if they can serve as targets for new treatments. Alternatively, a study from Northwestern…

Results showing the safety of Esbriet (pirfenidone) in treating interstitial lung disease due to systemic sclerosis were recently presented at the European League Against Rheumatism Annual European Congress of Rheumatology. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Esbriet (pirfenidone), which is currently marketed by Roche, as a…

Scleroderma has often been associated with a higher risk of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) in previous research. This is because in patients with scleroderma, there is progressive blood vessel contraction (narrowing) that often leads to an increase in blood pressure in the lungs, which can in turn develop into PAH. This progression from…

Patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc) are at an increased risk for mortality due to concurrent pulmonary hypertension or interstitial lung disease. While pulmonary hypertension results in right-sided heart failure, interstitial lung disease results in extensive lung fibrosis. It may be possible to test for lung scarring using high resolution computed…

Clinical stage pharmaceutical company Corbus Pharmaceuticals announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved its investigational new drug (IND) application allowing the company to begin a phase 2 clinical study to evaluate its treatment for diffuse cutaneous systemic sclerosis called Resunab. The phase 2 clinical trial…

Tiny biomarkers for pulmonary hypertension in patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc) may be floating around affected individuals’ bloodstreams. Matthew R. Lammi, MD, of Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center in New Orleans is heading a clinical trial to evaluate the presence of endothelial microparticles (EMPs) in SSc patients with…