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Treatment of primary systemic necrotizing vasculitides: the role of biotherapies

  • Review Article
  • The Asia Pacific Meeting of Vasculitis and ANCA Workshop 2012
  • Published:
Clinical and Experimental Nephrology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Treatments of systemic necrotizing vasculitides have progressed markedly over the past few decades. The first attempts to obtain better-adapted therapeutic strategies evaluated the indications of conventional drugs, and their abilities to prolong survival and prevent relapses, while decreasing the severity and number of side effects. The French Vasculitis Study Group, the European Vasculitis Study Group or the Vasculitis Clinical Research Consortium organized most of the prospective clinical trials that have contributed to optimizing targeted treatment strategies. Recent therapeutic strategies include: immunomodulating methods (e.g. plasma exchanges), products (e.g. intravenous immunoglobulins) or, more recently, new agents called biotherapies. Some of the latter, mainly anti-CD20 monoclonal antibodies, have achieved promising effects and are now being evaluated in prospective trials.

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Conflict of interest

Loïc Guillevin is member of the French autoimmune registry supported by Roche. He has received lecture fees from Roche, CSL Behring and LFB. Roche has provided in part rituximab free for the MAINRITSAN trial.

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  1. Department of Internal Medicine, Hôpital Cochin, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Université Paris, René-Descartes, 27, rue du Faubourg Saint-Jacques, 75679, Paris Cedex 14, France

    Loïc Guillevin

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Correspondence to Loïc Guillevin.

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Guillevin, L. Treatment of primary systemic necrotizing vasculitides: the role of biotherapies. Clin Exp Nephrol 17, 622–627 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10157-013-0860-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10157-013-0860-2

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