medwireNews: The US FDA has approved avacopan, an orally-administered inhibitor of the complement 5a (C5a) receptor, as an add-on treatment option for severe antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA)-associated vasculitis.
Avacopan is recommended for the treatment of two types of ANCA-associated vasculitis – granulomatosis with polyangiitis and microscopic polyangiitis – at a dose of 30 mg twice daily, given in combination with standard therapy including glucocorticoids. The FDA notes that avacopan “does not eliminate glucocorticoid use.”
The efficacy of avacopan for ANCA-associated vasculitis was shown in the phase 3 ADVOCATE trial, which compared remission rates with the C5a receptor inhibitor versus placebo when added to standard treatment with rituximab or cyclophosphamide followed by azathioprine.
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