New combo therapy tested to tame rare autoimmune diseases

This study tested whether adding the drug azathioprine to standard steroid treatment works better than steroids alone for adults newly diagnosed with certain rare autoimmune diseases (microscopic polyangiitis, polyarteritis nodosa, or eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis) who have a milder form. The goal was to see if the combination leads to more patients achieving remission and fewer patients having their disease flare up again over two years, without causing significantly more side effects.