Trending News Today: FDA Grants Obinutuzumab Breakthrough Designation for Lupus Nephritis

Officials with the FDA granted breakthrough therapy designation to obinutuzumab (Gazyva, Roche) for adults with lupus nephritis, a potentially life-threatening manifestation of systemic lupus erythematosus, Genentech reported. According to the press release, the designation was supported by data from the phase 2 NOBILITY study in adult patients with proliferative lupus nephritis. The results showed that obinutuzumab, in combination with standard of care, demonstrated enhanced efficacy compared with a placebo plus standard of care alone in achieving complete renal response at 1 year, according to the study.

Terazosin (Hytrin), a common prostate drug, may be able to slow the progression of Parkinson disease (PD), The American Journal of Managed Care reported. According to the article, the researchers found that terazosin could block cell death and that the cell-protective activity was due to terazosin’s ability to activate phosphoglycerate kinase 1, an enzyme critical for cellular energy production. Overall, patients taking terazosin had slower disease progression, decreased PD-related complications, and a reduced frequency of PD diagnoses, the article reported.

A new study suggests that a daily pill combining 4 drugs may help lower heart risks in low-income populations, The Associated Press reported. According to the article, the study included approximately 300 individuals aged 45 to 75 years from a community health center in Mobile, Alabama. After a year, the study showed that the patients who took the polypill had lowered their blood pressure and low-density lipoprotein more than those who did not take the pill, the article reported.