What the trial was testing
The ADVOCATE enrolled 331 patients with anca-associated vasculitis. The study was sponsored by ChemoCentryx and tracked outcomes across the full group of patients who matched the trial's eligibility profile.
It was a large trial designed to confirm whether the treatment works well enough for wider use. Trials at this stage are designed to produce evidence regulators and physicians can act on — not just observations to follow up later.
What the results showed
66% sustained remission at one year — and far less steroid use.
New England Journal of Medicine · 2021 · NCT02994927
These findings — that of patients in sustained remission at one year on avacopan vs. tapered steroids — were published in the New England Journal of Medicine and represent the headline result of the study.
Researchers tracked outcomes across 331 patients enrolled in the trial. The result was consistent enough across the group that the team felt confident reporting it.
What this means for patients
For patients with anca-associated vasculitis, this result changes the calculus on what to ask their care team about. Whether it changes day-to-day care depends on factors like disease subtype, prior treatments, and where the patient is in their care journey.
What you can do now
Avacopan (Tavneos) is FDA-approved for severe active ANCA-associated vasculitis and available now. It is given alongside standard immune-suppressing therapy and lets most people taper off steroids faster. Ask a rheumatologist or kidney specialist whether it fits your treatment plan.
Eligibility for the treatments mentioned above depends on specific test results and clinical history. Bring this summary, the trial name, and your most recent labs or pathology report to your next visit.
Open anca-associated vasculitis trials
One-Time DNA Study for Vasculitis
The purpose of this study is to identify genes that increase the risk of developing vasculitis, a group of severe diseases that feature inflammation of blood vessels. Results of these studies will provide vasculitis researchers with insight into the causes of these diseases and generate new ideas for diagnostic tests and therapies, and will be of great interest to the larger communities of researchers investigating vasculitis and other autoimmune, inflammatory, and vascular diseases.
A Study to Evaluate the Efficacy and Safety of SHR-1703 in Subjects With Eosinophilic Granulomatosis With Polyangiitis （EGPA）
This study is a phase 2/3 clinical trial to evaluate the efficacy and safety of SHR-1703 in patients with EGPA.