Rheumatology News reports on the findings of the phase III ADVOCATE trial reported at the annual European Congress of Rheumatology, which found an investigational oral inhibitor (avacopan) of complement activation, is safe and effective for in treating antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA)–associated vasculitis.

HSS rheumatologist, Lindsay S. Lally, MD, who was not involved in the study, provided commentary on the findings, stating, “The topline phase III data from ADVOCATE sort of even exceeded my expectations in terms of the ability to show not just noninferiority, but superiority of avacopan at week 52 in maintaining sustained remission." Dr. Lally added, “It’s spectacular to treat patients with this serious vasculitis without any steroids or with very minimal steroids, and see superiority at a year. That is really game changing."

“This study is going to move forward our ability to treat this disease effectively, as we have been able to do in some of our other vasculitis syndromes, by finding drugs that have significant steroid-sparing effects,” she further noted. 

Read the full article at mdedge.com/rheumatology.