News

Excess cortisol in cortisol-producing adenomas may be caused by a lack of chemical modifications in a gene involved in cortisol synthesis, new research found. The study shows that DNA methylation, a type of modification in the DNA whose function is to reduce protein expression, in the aldosterone synthase gene is significantly…

Patients with Cushing’s disease or other pituitary tumors who undergo radiotherapy after surgery have a higher chance of developing secondary brain tumors, a new study shows. Such patients should be followed for longer periods, and by multidisciplinary clinical teams, ensuring proper and prompt care. The study, “Secondary Intracranial Tumors…

Primary care physicians need to be aware of the typical signs of Cushing’s disease so they can initiate early screening, advocates a group of researchers from the University of Ghana. Their article, “Screening for Cushing Syndrome at the Primary Care Level: What Every General Practitioner Must Know,” was…

Researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania have successfully used a fluorescent dye to identify pituitary adenoma tissue during brain surgery. The study, “Folate receptor overexpression can be visualized in real time during pituitary adenoma endoscopic transsphenoidal surgery with near-infrared imaging,” was…

Fluorescent pigments accumulate in the non-cancerous adrenal gland tumors associated with Cushing syndrome, whether or not a person has a mutation associated with the disease, a study indicates. The build-up could be used a biomarker of Cushing disease some day, the researchers said. Scientists call the pigments lipofuscin granules. Granule accumulations…

Crinetics Pharmaceuticals has received two grants from the National Institutes of Health’s (NIH) National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) to develop nonpeptide, oral somatostatin agonists for congenital hyperinsulinemia and new therapies for Cushing’s disease. The two Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grants, totaling $2.4…

A retrospective analysis shows that nearly 30 percent of patients with Cushing’s disease (CD) are not able to control the levels of cortisol in their blood, despite multiple treatments.  The study, “Biochemical Control During Long-term Follow-up of 230 Adult Patients with…

Strongbridge Biopharma has entered into an agreement for $50 million in credit and $3 million in equity investment with the healthcare-focused firm CRG to meet the demand for Keveyis (dichlorphenamide) and advance the development of its major therapeutic candidate Recorlev (levoketoconazole). Recorlev is an investigational cortisol synthesis inhibitor under development for the…

Researchers found that unlike tumors localized in the pituitary gland that increase production of the hormone underlying Cushing’s syndrome, no mutations in USP8 were detected in tumors that induce the disease but are localized outside of the gland. This condition is known as ectopic ACTH secretion syndrome (EAS), or ectopic Cushing’s…

The multicenter, international Phase 3 SONICS study testing the safety and effectiveness of Strongbridge Biopharma’s therapy candidate Recorlev (levoketoconazole) for endogenous Cushing’s syndrome has reached its goal of enlisting 90 participants, which completes the enrollment phase. Due to strong interest in the study, a…