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Wegener’s granulomatosis: Is biologic therapy useful?

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Abstract

Wegener’s granulomatosis (WG) is a complex autoimmune disorder that has been transformed from a uniformly lethal process to a chronic disease with a relapsingremitting course. In the setting of frequent relapses, the need to manage cumulative disease damage and drug toxicities has spurred the identification and development of new potent and directed therapies. Biologic agents, which offer the potential for remission-induction and drug-sparing approaches to treat WG, have been studied in several small, open-label clinical series and one large, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial. This article discusses the results of these trials and the potential of these biologic agents to treat WG.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Rheumatology, Allergy and Immunology, Department of Internal Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, 55 Fruit Street, Bulfinch-165, 02114, Boston, MA, USA

    Anthony M. Reginato MD, PhD

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  1. Pasha Sarraf MD, PhD
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  2. Jonathan Kay MD
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  3. Robert P. Friday MD, PhD
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  4. Anthony M. Reginato MD, PhD
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Correspondence to Anthony M. Reginato MD, PhD.

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Sarraf, P., Kay, J., Friday, R.P. et al. Wegener’s granulomatosis: Is biologic therapy useful?. Curr Rheumatol Rep 8, 303–311 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11926-006-0014-6

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