Marisa Wexler, MS,  —

Marisa holds an MS in Cellular and Molecular Pathology from the University of Pittsburgh, where she studied novel genetic drivers of ovarian cancer. She specializes in cancer biology, immunology, and genetics. Marisa began working with BioNews in 2018, and has written about science and health for SelfHacked and the Genetics Society of America. She also writes/composes musicals and coaches the University of Pittsburgh fencing club.

Articles by Marisa Wexler

Off-the-shelf CAR cell therapy to enter SLE trial next year

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has cleared Century Therapeutics to start a Phase 1 clinical trial that will test its off-the-shelf cell therapy CNTY-101 in people with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). The Phase 1 study will enroll people with moderate to severe SLE who’ve failed to respond…

Phase 1/2 Trial of GC012F in hard-to-treat SLE expected by 2024

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has given Gracell Biotechnologies the green light to start a Phase 1/2 clinical trial to test its experimental cell therapy GC012F in people with difficult-to-treat systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). The study’s Phase 1 portion should start in 2024 to assess the safety,…

CAR T-cell therapy IMPT-514 gets FDA fast track designation for lupus

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted fast track designation to IMPT-514, a CAR T-cell therapy being developed by Immpact Bio for people with active, treatment-resistant lupus nephritis and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Lupus nephritis is a serious complication of lupus characterized by kidney inflammation.

Greater use of Benlysta, Saphnelo seen in US, EU to treat lupus

In both the U.S. and Europe, clinicians want to limit treatment with glucocorticoids — steroid hormones whose long-term use for autoimmune diseases is tied to serious side effects — among people with moderate to severe lupus. To that end, healthcare professionals are increasingly prescribing biological therapies like Benlysta…

Phase 2 trial of GLPG3667 for SLE now recruiting patients in US

Galapagos officially has launched a Phase 2 clinical trial that will test its oral therapy GLPG3667 — designed to ease disease severity in people with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) — at a half dozen sites in the U.S. The first participant has been randomized, or assigned to a treatment…

Phase 3 trials of ianalumab for SLE, lupus nephritis now enrolling

Three new Phase 3 clinical trials testing the experimental therapy ianalumab in people with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and lupus nephritis are now recruiting patients. All three trials are being sponsored by Novartis, the company developing ianalumab. Lupus Therapeutics, the clinical research affiliate of the Lupus Research Alliance,…