Latest news with #autoimmunedisorders
Health Line
29-05-2025
- General
- Health Line
Can I Have a Normal Liver Function Test with Cirrhosis?
Yes, it is possible to have a normal liver function test if you have cirrhosis, but this is rare. Cirrhosis is a condition that causes scarring and damage of the liver, which can prevent it from digesting food and removing waste from your body. Liver function tests (LFT) are blood tests that can assess how well your liver is functioning and detect any damage. However, in some cases, LFTs may show normal results despite the presence of cirrhosis in the liver. This can occur during the early stages of cirrhosis, when the liver has severe scarring or damage, but the body is still able to compensate for its decreased function. This is known as compensatedcirrhosis. It typically results in unnoticeable or mild symptoms, such as nausea and fatigue. A person can have compensatedcirrhosis for years and not feel unwell or see any signs of liver damage. What other methods can help detect cirrhosis? While LFTs may not always detect cirrhosis, there are several other tests that can pick up on potential liver damage. This includes: Medical history. A healthcare professional can identify your risk of developing cirrhosis by asking about your medical history, including if you have autoimmune disorders, have been exposed to hepatitis viruses in the past, or have a history of excessive alcohol consumption. Physical exam. When performing a physical exam, a healthcare professional may encounter potential signs of liver damage, such as a swollen or tender abdomen, yellowing of the eyes, or skin changes. Complete blood count. A complete blood count can pick up on reduced liver function. Ultrasound. A healthcare professional can pick up on potential signs of liver damage during an ultrasound. Liver biopsy. A liver biopsy involves taking a small sample of tissue from the liver, which can confirm a diagnosis of cirrhosis. However, this method is reserved for instances where there is a high suspicion of cirrhosis, but other tests have been inconclusive. If you think you may be at risk of developing cirrhosis, but are not noticing any signs, consider speaking with a healthcare professional. They can perform some tests to identify any potential damage.
National Post
22-05-2025
- Health
- National Post
Ventus Therapeutics to Present Phase 1 Results for VENT-03, a First-in-Class cGAS Inhibitor, at LUPUS 2025
Article content WALTHAM, Mass. & MONTREAL — Ventus Therapeutics, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company advancing two Phase 2 small-molecule programs for immunological, inflammatory, and neurological disorders, today announced the upcoming presentation of the Phase 1 safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics (PK), and pharmacodynamic (PD) results of VENT-03 at the 16 th International Congress on Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (LUPUS 2025), taking place from May 21-24 in Toronto, Canada. Article content VENT-03 is the first oral small-molecule cyclic GMP-AMP synthase (cGAS) inhibitor to successfully complete a first-in-human Phase 1 study and was discovered using Ventus' proprietary ReSOLVE ® platform. Data from the Phase 1 study, initially announced in October 2024, showed that VENT-03 was safe and well tolerated at all tested dose levels with a favorable PK profile enabling once-daily dosing. Article content 'We are pleased to present at LUPUS 2025 the first reported Phase 1 results for a cGAS inhibitor, demonstrating that VENT-03 has the potential to become a first- and best-in-class therapy for lupus and other autoimmune disorders,' said Marcelo Bigal, M.D., Ph.D., President and CEO of Ventus. 'Ventus is eager to unlock the potential of cGAS inhibition across multiple autoimmune diseases, with the first Phase 2 trial evaluating VENT-03 in patients with lupus to commence later this year.' Article content The Phase 1, double-blind, placebo-controlled, first-in-human trial included 72 healthy adult volunteers across single ascending dose (SAD) and multiple ascending dose (MAD) cohorts. The study results show that VENT-03 was safe and well tolerated up to single doses of 2000 mg once daily (QD) and multiple dosing of 900 mg QD for 10 days, which are substantially higher than our anticipated Phase 2 dose. The proportion of participants with adverse events (AEs) in the MAD cohorts was similar for VENT-03 and placebo (79% vs. 75%), and the vast majority of AEs in the study were mild and considered unrelated to the study drug. The PK profile of VENT-03 supports once-daily dosing with or without food, and the PD results demonstrate robust target engagement, supporting further clinical development. Article content 'More than five million people worldwide are estimated to have a form of lupus. These patients can experience disease progression and severe symptoms that can affect quality of life, and currently available treatment options may not be able to adequately address these symptoms for all patients,' said Mona Kotecha, M.D., Chief Medical Officer of Ventus. 'Through targeting cGAS, VENT-03 has the potential to become a safer and more effective treatment option for patients in need, addressing key unmet needs across multiple organ systems while providing the additional benefit of once-daily oral dosing. We look forward to sharing these results and to connecting with the wider lupus community at LUPUS 2025.' Article content Details of the poster presentation are as follows: Article content Title: Safety, Tolerability, Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics in Healthy Volunteers of VENT-03, a Novel cGAS Inhibitor for the Treatment of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Authors: Xavier Valencia, Kelly Pike, Loraine Warner, Conrad Winters, Jeanne Stewart, Ramsay Beveridge, Patrick Cyr, Nadine Fradet, Amandine Chefson, Ofer Spiegelstein Abstract Number: Poster 286 Session Date: May 22 nd Article content cGAS is an intracellular pattern recognition receptor that is activated after binding to double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) in the cytoplasm. The presence of dsDNA in the cytoplasm is often the result of cellular dysfunction, which is a hallmark of many autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. Activation of cGAS leads to cGAMP formation, activation of STING, pronounced inflammation, and tissue damage. In both patients and preclinical models of disease, the cGAS pathway has been shown to be a key driver of lupus and other inflammatory diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis, systemic sclerosis, dermatomyositis, and Sjögren's disease. Article content Ventus Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company advancing two Phase 2 small-molecule programs for immunological, inflammatory, and neurological disorders. Using its proprietary drug discovery platform, ReSOLVE ®, the company has established a robust pipeline, including two wholly-owned programs. VENT-03 is a first-in-class, oral cGAS inhibitor expected to enter Phase 2 development for lupus in 2025. VENT-02 is a best-in-class, brain-penetrant, oral NLRP3 inhibitor in Phase 2 for Parkinson's disease, and is expected to enter Phase 2 development for osteoarthritis in obese patients later in 2025. In addition, Ventus has out-licensed VENT-01, a peripherally-restricted, oral NLRP3 inhibitor in Phase 1, to Novo Nordisk A/S. For more information, please visit and engage with Ventus on LinkedIn. Article content Article content Article content Article content Article content Contacts Article content Media Dan Budwick 1AB dan@ Article content Article content
