Inês Martins, PhD, managing science editor —

The proportion of Cushing’s syndrome patients whose disease is caused by a tumor in the adrenal glands is higher in Asia than in other continents. Now, researchers in Thailand suggest that countries in Southeast Asia also may have a higher incidence of this subtype of cases. The research, “…

Isturisa (osilodrostat), an approved therapy for Cushing’s disease, continues to demonstrate high and sustained responses in patients for whom pituitary gland surgery is not an option or whose disease returned after surgery, findings from a Phase 3 trial show. The LINC-4 study (NCT02697734) showed that significantly more patients…

The Phase 3 GRACE clinical trial evaluating Corcept Therapeutics‘ relacorilant as a potential treatment for high blood pressure and poor glucose tolerance in people with endogenous Cushing’s syndrome is expected to take longer to complete, the company announced. While patients in the GRACE study continue to…

One year of treatment with under-the-skin Signifor (pasireotide) lessens tumor volume in many Cushing’s disease patients for whom surgery has failed or is not an option, a post-hoc analysis of a Phase 3 clinical trial shows. Signifor was found to normalize urinary cortisol levels and ease…

Blocking the EGFR signaling pathway using the breast cancer treatment lapatinib significantly reduces the amount of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) produced by pituitary tumor cells and their proliferation in mice, a preclinical study shows. The findings suggest lapatinib — marketed as Tykerb by Novartis in the United States…

A shorter duration of adrenal insufficiency — when the adrenal gland is not working properly — after surgical removal of a pituitary tumor may predict recurrence in Cushing’s disease patients, a new study suggests. The study, “Recovery of the adrenal function after pituitary surgery in patients with Cushing Disease:…

Signifor (pasireotide) — a treatment approved for Cushing’s disease patients who are not cured by surgery — reduces the growth of pituitary tumor cells by lowering the amount of activated ERK1/2 proteins, a study finds. The treatment also induces programmed cell death, the scientists discovered. The study, “…

Cushing’s disease patients whose pituitary tumors carry a USP8 mutation are more likely to achieve remission after surgery than those without such mutations, a retrospective Italian study found. The study, “Clinical characteristics and surgical outcome in USP8-mutated human adrenocorticotropic hormone-secreting pituitary adenomas,” was published in the journal…

Cushing’s syndrome patients deemed in biological remission are rarely functionally cured, continuing to report low quality of life scores, chronic depression, and the need for specific working arrangements in the long term, a study reports. Researchers point to neurocognitive damage — mainly depression — as a major player in…

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted orphan drug status to fluasterone (ST-002) for the treatment of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, nonalcoholic steatosis, and high blood sugar in Cushing’s syndrome patients, SteroTherapeutics announced. Cushing’s syndrome occurs when the body is exposed to high levels of the hormone cortisol over a long period.