About wAIHA
wAIHA is a rare and serious autoimmune disease that affects red blood cells. In an autoimmune disease, the immune system (the body’s natural defenses) attacks the body’s normal cells and organs.
Standard treatment for wAIHA
There is currently no approved medication for wAIHA. Standard treatment often includes immunosuppressant drugs, such as steroids, to decrease the production of antibodies that harm red blood cells.
Taking steroids for long periods of time can lead to side effects and complications. This is why doctors and researchers are looking for new ways to treat wAIHA.
Searching for a new option for adults with wAIHA
Research has shown that B cells (a type of white blood cell) play an important role in wAIHA. An experimental medicine called obexelimab [ah-bex-EL-ih-mab] has been developed to target the harmful actions of B cells in wAIHA. This potentially could be a new approach to treating wAIHA.
About obexelimab
Your immune (defense) system normally makes antibodies to fight bacteria and viruses. Scientists can make antibodies in a laboratory. When mass produced for medical use, such antibodies are called monoclonal antibodies.
Obexelimab is a monoclonal antibody being studied as a possible treatment option for wAIHA. Obexelimab has been given to healthy volunteers and participants with immune-related diseases in other studies. In the SApHiAre study, doctors and researchers want to see if obexelimab can help improve anemia caused by wAIHA.