A phase 3 clinical trial published in the New England Journal of Medicine found that obexelimab markedly reduced flares in patients with IgG4-related disease compared with a placebo.
The *New England Journal of Medicine* has published results from the INDIGO trial, a phase 3 study testing obexelimab — a drug that targets B cells (a type of white blood cell central to the immune response) — in patients with IgG4-related disease (IgG4-RD). The condition causes inflammation and scarring that can affect almost any organ in the body, including the pancreas, kidneys, and salivary glands.
IgG4-RD is notoriously difficult to treat. Steroids can suppress flares but carry serious long-term side effects, and many patients relapse when treatment stops. Obexelimab works differently — it suppresses harmful B-cell activity without destroying the cells entirely, an approach the journal’s accompanying editorial describes as “nondepleting B-cell therapy.”
That distinction matters clinically. Depleting B cells entirely leaves patients more vulnerable to infection. A therapy that damps down the abnormal immune response while preserving more of the body’s defences could offer a safer long-term option, according to the editorial published alongside the trial data.
The INDIGO trial results and the accompanying editorial were announced by the *New England Journal of Medicine* on its official account, tagging the findings under rheumatology and immunology.
The full trial data, including detailed statistics, are available in the published NEJM article.
Although this is a phase 3 trial — the final stage of clinical testing before regulatory approval — obexelimab is not yet in routine clinical use. Patients with IgG4-RD, or those who think they may have symptoms of the condition, should speak to their GP rather than drawing conclusions from trial-phase results. For general health queries, NHS 111 is available by phone or online.
Source: @NEJM