News

The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases is recruiting patients with systemic sclerosis-associated pulmonary arterial hypertension (SSc-PAH) to assess if Rituxan (rituximab) immunotherapy is effective against disease progression. The randomized Phase 2 study, titled “Rituximab for Treatment of Systemic Sclerosis-Associated Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension (SSc-PAH),” is enrolling patients…

iBio recently announced the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted orphan drug designation to iBio-CFB03 for the treatment of systemic sclerosis. iBio is a leading provider of plant-based biotechnology for developing and manufacturing biological products for a range of fibrotic diseases (where is scar tissue has formed), including idiopathic…

People with systemic sclerosis-associated pulmonary arterial hypertension (SS-PAH) were seen to have a significantly worse prognosis when treated with an endothelin receptor antagonist (ERA), compared to those treated with a phosphodiesterase-5 (PDE-5) inhibitor or with a combination of an ERA/PDE-5 inhibitor. The study, “Association Between Initial Oral Therapy and Outcomes…

Well, unless you had a month away from your internet connection, you probably know that June was Scleroderma Awareness Month, with World Scleroderma Day highlighting the end of the month on the 29th. However, as we scleroderma patients know only too well, we live with scleroderma for the remaining 364…

Keeping close watch over systemic sclerosis patients, at high risk for cardiovascular disease, with an implanted heart monitoring device may allow for early detection and treatment of cardiac events. Researchers at the University of Leeds, in the United Kingdom, revealed the potential of an implantable loop recorder for detecting abnormalities that affect the heart’s electrical…

Iloprost (brand name, Ventavis) in combination with bosentan (Tracleer) can improve blood flow in microscopic vessels called capillaries in the hands and feet of patients with systemic sclerosis, where poor capillary function often gives rise to Raynaud’s phenomenon. The study, “Effect of treatment with iloprost with or without bosentan on nailfold videocapillaroscopic alterations…

The pharmaceutical company iBio, which focuses on the clinical development of drugs for systemic sclerosis and other fibrotic diseases, was recently issued a U.S. patent protecting the company’s drug development attempts using endostatin-related peptides for the treatment of fibrosis. According to a press release, the patent, US 9,365,616, titled…

Several North American advocacy and research non-profit organizations will host a virtual flash mob June 29, on World Scleroderma Day, to raise awareness for the disease. The social media event will happen on the heals of more than 100 fundraising walks, tributes and other events held during June’s Scleroderma Awareness Month. Organizations heading up…

A small study by researchers in Greece showed that B-cell depletion through “off-label” use of an approved drug may help to treat skin fibrosis in people with systemic sclerosis (SSc), and identified specific molecules of likely importance to this process. The article, “B cell depletion therapy upregulates Dkk-1 skin expression in patients…

Corbus Pharmaceuticals recently announced that its Phase 2 clinical trial assessing the drug Resunab as a potential treatment for diffuse cutaneous systemic sclerosis is now fully enrolled. The study (NCT02465437) is a randomized, double-blind and placebo-control trial, taking place at nine sites across the U.S., to evaluate Resunab’s efficacy, tolerability, safety and pharmacokinetics…