News

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has cleared an application from Emerald Health Pharmaceuticals that paves the way to begin a Phase 2 clinical trial testing EHP-101 in people with scleroderma. EHP-101 is an oral therapy based on cannabidiol (CBD), one of the main components of cannabis and…

The combination of three imaging techniques can provide a better understanding of structural and functional skin changes in the fingers, leading to an earlier and more accurate diagnosis of scleroderma, a new study suggests. The study, “Combining optical coherence tomography with magnetic resonance angiography and Doppler ultrasonography for…

Researchers have zeroed in on autoantibodies that may be linked to distinct human leukocyte antigen (HLA) genes and environmental factors, something that could help explain the high variability of scleroderma and why some disease forms are more prevalent in African-Americans. The study, “HLA and autoantibodies define scleroderma subtypes…

Using a new stem cell-based model, researchers have discovered a molecule that can reverse tissue damage caused by inflammation and fibrosis (scarring), a study shows. The study, “Modeling Progressive Fibrosis with Pluripotent Stem Cells Identifies an Anti-fibrotic Small Molecule,” was published in Cell Reports. Fibrotic diseases,…

Intravenous antibodies can be used as add-on therapy to reduce the dosage of corticosteroids and achieve disease remission in people with scleroderma-associated myopathy (SScAM), or muscle disease, a study suggests. The study, “Corticosteroid-sparing benefit of intravenous immunoglobulin in systemic sclerosis-associated myopathy: A comparative study in 52 patients,”…

A new collaboration between Servier Pharmaceuticals and University College London (UCL) seeks to speed the discovery of new therapies for immune-inflammatory disorders such as scleroderma. The initial two-year agreement calls for Servier to share scientific knowledge with UCL researchers who are investigating how scleroderma develops, as well as…

The Scleroderma Foundation is among the recipients of nearly $200,000 in awards through the 2020 RARE Patient Impact Grant program of Global Genes, a rare disease patient advocacy organization. Twenty foundations will receive funding to improve the lives of rare disease patients through education, resources, and other support.

Cedars-Sinai has received a $20-million donation from Dr. and Mrs. Min H. Kao and the Kao Family Foundation to establish the Kao Autoimmunity Institute to foster research and find treatments for rheumatic disorders. The donation will also help launch the institute’s Scleroderma Program, which is designed to provide…

About a third of people diagnosed with scleroderma in the U.S. were prescribed immunosuppressive therapies in the first year after their diagnosis, but their symptoms were found to be similar to those of other scleroderma patients — possibly indicating the low efficacy of these treatments, a study…

Cantargia will start the preclinical development of a new antibody, called CAN10, intended to treat people with scleroderma and myocarditis. The company aims to launch a Phase 1 clinical trial in late 2021. CAN10 was designed to specifically block the activity of the interleukin 1…