Lindsey Shapiro, PhD,  science writer—

The investigational therapy telitacicept leads to significant and clinically meaningful reductions in disease activity and patient-reported symptoms among adults with primary Sjögren’s disease, according to new data from a Phase 3 clinical trial conducted in China. The findings — consistent with Phase 2 trial data — were…

Novartis’ investigational antibody therapy ianalumab (VAY736) safely and effectively eases disease activity in adults with Sjögren’s disease, topline results from a pair of Phase 3 clinical trials show. According to the therapy’s developer, ianalumab has the potential to become the first targeted treatment to be approved for people…

A naturally occurring molecule that has the ability to regulate gene activity may represent a promising therapeutic target for Sjögren’s disease and other autoimmune conditions, according to a study. Mimicking the activity of the molecule, miR-216a-3p, eased inflammation and scarring in a rat model of the disease. Its therapeutic…

A mutation in the TNIP1 gene resulted in a chronic autoimmune disease for two people, one of whom had symptoms similar to Sjögren’s disease, a study shows. The other patient had symptoms of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), another type of autoimmune disease. Experiments in mice with the mutation,…

Kiniksa Pharmaceuticals has launched a Phase 2b clinical trial to test its injectable therapy abiprubart against a placebo in people with Sjögren’s syndrome. The trial, mainly designed to assess the treatment’s effects on disease severity, is expected to involve about 201 Sjögren’s patients. Kiniksa reports that the trial…

Dry cough and shortness of breath were found to be significant predictors of interstitial lung disease (ILD) with scarring in patients with primary Sjögren’s syndrome in a recent study. Patients with lung scarring, or fibrosis, also showed distinct features on CT scans and had a shorter disease duration than…

Osteoarthritis, rather than inflammatory arthritis, was the more common cause of joint pain among primary Sjögren’s syndrome patients in a small study. While arthritis is associated primarily with inflammation and swelling, osteoarthritis (OA) typically is linked to the mechanical wearing down of joints. Analyses revealed that older age and certain…

A gene called PSMC6 may be involved in driving inflammation and immune cell infiltration into the glands affected by primary Sjögren’s syndrome (pSS), a study found. PSMC6, which was more highly expressed, or active, in the blood of pSS patients than in that of healthy people, also was linked to lower…

Investigational therapy dazodalibep significantly eased symptom burden in people with Sjögren’s syndrome who have moderate-to-severe symptoms, but minimal systemic disease activity, meeting the goal of Horizon Therapeutics‘ Phase 2 clinical trial. Horizon previously announced the trial also met its other main goal of reducing disease activity in…

Age, disease duration, and blood levels of inflammatory markers Krebs von den Lungen-6 (KL-6) and TNF-alpha are the most discriminating factors for identifying Sjögren’s syndrome patients with interstitial lung disease, a study found. While less significantly associated, other inflammatory markers, including immunoglobulin M (IgM), c-reactive protein (CRP), eotaxin, and…