Kawasaki Disease Clinical Trials 2023

What Are Kawasaki Disease Clinical Trials?

Kawasaki disease is an inflammatory disease that causes swelling and inflammation in children. This inflammation occurs in the blood vessels that take the blood throughout the body. Most children affected by this disease are younger than five and experience symptoms like swollen glands in the neck, rashes, swollen hands and feet, and strawberry tongue.

Clinical trials for Kawasaki disease aim to gather more information about the infectiousness of this disease and seek to determine the efficacy of new treatments and evaluate and improve existing treatments.

One of the recent clinical trials for Kawasaki disease is a single dose of gamma globulin as a treatment for Kawasaki disease. During the clinical trial, most children showed a significant improvement in their condition after the first treatment, while others needed a second dose of treatment. These findings seem promising in this treatment being approved for treating Kawasaki disease.

Why Is Kawasaki Disease Being Studied Through Clinical Trials?

Kawasaki disease is being studied through clinical trials to find better treatment options and research better methods of treating this disease.

According to the CDC, Kawasaki disease is rare and affects between 9 and 20 children per 100,000. Unfortunately, there is currently no cure for Kawasaki disease, and clinical trials must be conducted to find better treatment options and a cure for this disease.

Kawasaki disease also comes with complications that include damage to the heart, aneurysms, and death. Through clinical trials, innovative treatments can be used to treat this disease and increase the survival rate of patients diagnosed with Kawasaki disease.

What Are The Types Of Treatments Available For Kawasaki Disease?

Treatment for Kawasaki disease is administered as soon as possible to avoid any significant health complications. Treatments are usually administered in a hospital, and the two primary forms of treatment are aspirin and intravenous immunoglobulin.

If the above treatments are ineffective and the patient is at risk of developing heart problems, corticosteroids may be prescribed.

A clinical trial treatment for Kawasaki disease uses Etanercept in conjunction with an IV and aspirin to improve the treatment response in those diagnosed with Kawasaki disease.

What Are Some Recent Breakthrough Clinical Trials For Kawasaki Disease?

There are two treatment options for Kawasaki disease; however, some patients may require additional treatments and often experience health complications when current therapies are ineffective. A few impressive clinical trials for Kawasaki disease include:

2021: Infliximab for treating Kawasaki disease. Infliximab has been tested on patients that require additional treatment for Kawasaki disease. Infliximab has been proven to be a safe treatment for this disease and has lessened the time spent in hospitalization compared to the traditional second IVIG treatment.

2023: Atorvastatin for treating Kawasaki disease. A six-week course of atorvastatin is currently in phases I and II of testing as a treatment in acute patients with Kawasaki disease and coronary artery aneurysms. This treatment has proven safe and well tolerated in patients with Kawasaki disease, but more research and evidence are required and will be generated after phase III of this clinical study.

Who Are Some Of The Key Opinion Leaders / Researchers Conducting Kawasaki Disease Clinical Trial Research?

Anne Rowley, MD, is a researcher at Lurie Children's Hospital and her current research methods use highly sophisticated molecular biology tools. Her findings have shown a strong igA immune response in those with Kawasaki Disease. Rowley's research team has published several articles and conducted medical lectures on Kawasaki disease.

Jane C. Burns, MD, is a lead researcher and director of the Kawasaki Disease Research center, where she leads a specialized team that treats 90-100 patients annually. Burns is internationally recognized for her research on Kawasaki disease and has published many articles on the clinical study of this disease.