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Exagen Inc. Announces Study to Evaluate Emergence of Autoimmune Diseases After COVID-19 Infection
SAN DIEGO, Nov. 02, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Exagen Inc. (Nasdaq: XGN), an organization dedicated to transforming the care continuum for patients suffering
About this update from Exagen Inc.
[{"type":"text","content":"SAN DIEGO, Nov. 02, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Exagen Inc. (Nasdaq: XGN), an organization dedicated to transforming the care continuum for patients suffering from autoimmune diseases, announced today a new study in collaboration with Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, MA. The Brigham is acknowledged internationally for its expertise and innovation in patient care, biomedical research, and educational training programs for physicians, scientists, and health care professionals.\n As viruses are implicated in the development of autoimmune diseases, there is the need to understand the effects of the current COVID-19 pandemic on the development of rheumatic autoimmune diseases. This study will evaluate the incidence and risk factors for onset of rheumatic autoimmune diseases in people who recovered from COVID-19. Positive polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-confirmed COVID-19 patients from the Brigham will be invited to partake in the year-long evaluation. Patients will be categorized by COVID-19 severity: mild (outpatient), moderate (inpatient, not ICU), and severe (ICU). Patients who elect to participate will be assessed with two validated questionnaires and tested using AVISE® biomarkers to investigate the new onset of rheumatic disease symptoms and autoantibodies in the 3 months to 1 year following onset of COVID-19. “True incidence rates and risk factors associated with autoimmune and rheumatic diseases arising after COVID-19 are not known. We are proud to work with Brigham and Women’s Hospital, particularly their strong rheumatic disease epidemiology research team, to examine this further,” said Ron Rocca, President and CEO of Exagen. About Exagen Inc. Exagen is dedicated to transforming the care continuum for patients suffering from debilitating and chronic autoimmune diseases by enabling timely differential diagnosis and optimizing therapeutic intervention. Exagen has developed and is commercializing a portfolio of innovative testing products under its AVISE® brand. Several of these products are based on our proprietary Cell-Bound Complement Activation Products, or CB-CAPs, technology. CB-CAPs assess the activation of the complement system, a biological pathway implicated in systemic lupus erythematosus, or SLE. Exagen’s goal is to enable rheumatologists to improve care for patients through the differential diagnosis, prognosi...