Steve Bryson, PhD, science writer —

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted Xeris Pharmaceuticals orphan-drug exclusivity for Recorlev (levoketoconazole), its approved treatment for adults with endogenous Cushing’s syndrome. Orphan-drug exclusivity provides the company — which recently acquired the therapy’s developer, Strongbridge Biopharma — seven years of marketing exclusivity for Recorlev…

The hormone aldosterone may contribute to high blood pressure in people with subclinical hypercortisolism — those who have high levels of cortisol due to tumors in the adrenal glands, but do not have overt symptoms of Cushing’s syndrome. Aldosterone, excessively produced and released by the adrenal glands in these patients,…

PROP1, a pituitary gland protein that regulates gene activity related to hormone production, may play a role in the development of noncancerous tumors that cause Cushing’s disease, a small preliminary study suggested. According to researchers, PROP1 may be a therapeutic target for pituitary tumors. Future studies involving a larger…

High levels of dietary zinc induced signs of Cushing’s syndrome in a postmenopausal mouse model, a study suggested. Weight gain, obesity, and diabetes were also seen in postmenopausal mice fed a high-zinc diet. Tests in postmenopausal women were consistent with these findings, with higher blood zinc levels correlating with…

11oxC19 steroids, which are part of the androgen family of male sex hormones, are the primary drivers of hyperandrogenemia in women with Cushing’s disease, a study has found. Hyperandrogenemia, or high levels of androgens, in women with Cushing’s can lead to menstrual problems, acne, excessive body hair, and temporary…

Single-cell analysis of non-cancerous pituitary gland tumors that cause Cushing’s disease identified a novel therapeutic target with the potential to suppress tumor cell growth, a study has revealed. Although cells from such tumors, called adenomas, had excess production of noxa — a protein that stimulates cell death — noxa…

Researchers have identified risk factors for kidney impairment in adults with Cushing’s syndrome after they undergo surgery to remove their adrenal glands. These factors include having low pre-operative adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) levels or taking higher steroid replacement doses after the surgery. “Disease activity represented by ACTH levels or the steroid…

Signifor (pasireotide), a treatment for Cushing’s disease patients for whom surgery failed or is not an option, significantly reduces the size of benign pituitary tumors in more than 40% of people with the condition, according to a review of published studies. However, the researchers noted that tumor reduction was…

People with active Cushing’s disease show increased production of red blood cells due to the presence of a type of altered blood stem cell that show abnormal activation of glucocorticoid receptor (GR) signaling, a study shows. The GR is the receptor protein activated by glucocorticoids, or steroid hormones, including…

Lowering excess cortisol within cells using SPI-62, an investigational treatment of Cushing’s-related conditions, did not affect urinary cortisol levels, a standard measure of therapy effectiveness in clinical trials, an analysis of previous trial data showed. “Normalized urinary free cortisol, or UFC, is a standard therapeutic target for patients with Cushing’s…