NEW ORLEANS — An antibody treatment developed by the Belgian drugmaker Argenx raised platelet counts and stopped bleeding episodes in patients with a rare autoimmune disorder that causes the body to attack and destroy its own blood-clotting platelets.
The clinical trial results represent a potentially new and more effective way of treating adults with primary immune thrombocytopenia (ITP), a debilitating condition that, when severe and uncontrolled, can force patients to have their spleen removed.
“Immune thrombocytopenia can be very difficult to treat, especially in patients who have an insufficient response to previous therapies,” said Catherine Broome, a physician and associate professor of medicine at Georgetown University Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center. “There is no clear standard of care and many patients continue to experience significant symptoms and decreased quality of life.”
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