News

CT scans show that Actemra (tocilizumab) can prevent lung disease in patients with systemic scleroderma if detected early enough, an analysis of Phase 3 trial data reported.  These findings support the use of CT scans at…

As anyone affected by a rare disease knows, treating the illness while trying to go about everyday life is an expensive undertaking.  But exactly how expensive — in terms of direct and indirect costs across rare disease populations — might still come as a surprise: almost…

The Anna Belle Carter Memorial Foundation (ABCMF) is offering scholarships to students living with scleroderma and their siblings who remain under the care of their parents and guardians. Recipients can apply their ABCMF scholarships toward undergraduate degrees, initial graduate degrees, or certifications at accredited colleges, universities, and…

Chronic pain and impairment of the autonomic nervous system — which controls internal organs and regulates body processes like heart rate, blood pressure, digestion, and respiration — affect sleep and physical functioning in people with scleroderma, which in turn can negatively affect their quality of…

CAN10, — Cantargia’s experimental therapy for scleroderma and myocarditis, or inflammation of the heart muscle — appears safe and effective at reducing inflammation and myocarditis in preclinical studies. The findings support plans to develop CAN10 for the treatment of these two conditions. “With preclinical proof of concept in…

Oral treatment with C21 restored hand temperature by improving blood flow  in people with Raynaud’s phenomenon secondary to scleroderma, top-line data from a Phase 2 clinical trial show. “The results of the phase II study show that C21 can directly increase blood flow in fibrotic tissue,” Carl-Johan Dalsgaard,…

People with scleroderma have abnormal levels of several fatty molecules and their body’s ability to remove excess cholesterol is lower when compared with healthy peers, according to a recent study. This impaired ability to remove excess cholesterol may contribute to an increased risk of subclinical atherosclerosis and…

Having lung involvement increases the risk of in-hospital mortality, the length of hospital stays, and the costs related to hospitalization in people with scleroderma, a study of U.S.-based data finds. The study, “Lung involvement in systemic sclerosis is associated with adverse hospital outcomes: insights from the…

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Actemra (tocilizumab) to slow lung function decline in adults with systemic sclerosis-associated interstitial lung disease (SSc-ILD). “We are honored to offer the very first FDA-approved biologic treatment option to…

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…