News

As patients with scleroderma and Raynaud’s phenomenon know, cold hands can be extremely bothersome and even painful. Fredrick M. Wigley, MD, of Johns Hopkins University led a phase 3 clinical trial in 2014 that evaluated Fasudil, a Rho-kinase inhibitor, for efficacy in preventing vasoconstriction in the fingers and skin,…

“Zibotentan Better Renal Scleroderma Outcome Study (ZEBRA)” is more than a standard clinical trial for scleroderma patients. Rather, the phase 2 clinical trial is a three-part clinical trial seeking to help patients with mild, moderate, or severe kidney disease due to scleroderma. University College, London is…

“Fractional Carbon Dioxide Laser Versus UVA 1 in Treatment of Localized Scleroderma,” a clinical trial currently recruiting patients, is looking to add another possible remedy to the list for systemic sclerosis (SSc). In the trial, fractional carbon dioxide laser treatment will be compared against UVA1…

An ongoing clinical trial is evaluating RoActemra/Actemra (tocilizumab) in patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc). Sponsored by Hoffmann-La Roche, this clinical trial is in phase 3, with primary outcomes of a change in modified Rodnan skin score (mRSS) and incidence of adverse events. Currently…

Certain patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc) may be at a higher risk for malignancies based on autoantibodies present in their blood. Specifically, work presented by Dr. Cosimo Bruni at the 2014 American College of Rheumatology Annual Meeting, “An Association of Anti-PM/Scl Antibody Reactivity with Risk of Malignancy…

San Diego-based regenerative medicine company Cytori Therapeutics, Inc. has just announced it will be hosting an information session on scleroderma, and a presentation of its key STAR clinical trial. Lead investigator on the STAR trial, Dr. Dinesh Khanna, will be conducting the discussion on January 14,…

Scientists from the Department of Dermatology at the Institute of Medical, Pharmaceutical and Health Sciences, Kanazawa University, Japan have confirmed that antibodies to a specific enzyme — RNA polymerase III — are associated with scleroderma renal crisis (SRC). RNA polymerase III’s normal function is to convert (transcribe) DNA into RNA. Antibodies to RNA polymerase III are called anti-RNAP…

Biopharmaceutical company Apricus Biosciences, Inc. has announced that it has enrolled the first patient its phase 2a clinical trial for the assessment of the company’s main candidate for treating Raynaud’s phenomenon secondary to scleroderma. The investigational drug, which is comprised of an on-demand topical cream for the afflicted extremities, is…

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) recently granted two $450,000 Phase I Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) grants to Cureveda LLC, who is currently developing new therapies for the treatment of  inflammatory and fibrotic diseases, such as scleroderma. The company will invest the grants in its ongoing preclinical studies that are going to…

Fibrosis and metabolism: the two were recently linked in a study presented at the 2014 American College of Rheumatology Meeting in November. “Adiponectin Is an Endogenous Anti-Fibrotic and Target in Systemic Sclerosis: Novel Link Between Fibrosis and Metabolism,” presented by Dr. Feng Fang from Northwestern…