Alex Hillenbrand is an assistant editor for 

. She earned her BA in English from Lafayette College in 2023 and went on to write for pop culture, entertainment, and sports media outlets before joining MJH Life Sciences in 2025. In her free time, Alex enjoys cooking, going on walks, and meeting new people. Contact her at mjhlifesciences.com.

MAJESTY, the first global phase 3 study in 

, met its primary endpoint of complete remission at 2 years with obinutuzumab (Gazyva).

Genentech announced the positive 2-year phase 3 results of obinutuzumab compared to tacrolimus on February 16, 2026, with the potential for the therapeutic to become the first approved treatment for PMN.

“These results demonstrate that obinutuzumab may help more people with primary membranous nephropathy achieve complete remission, maintain kidney function for longer, and delay or potentially prevent the onset of life-threatening complications,” said Levi Garraway, MD, PhD, chief medical officer and head of Global Product Development, in a statement. “If approved, Gazyva would be the first therapy specifically indicated for people with primary membranous nephropathy, where there are limited treatment options.”

In patients with PMN, approximately 30 to 40% with severe proteinuria progress to end-stage renal disease or experience significant, irreversible kidney failure 10 years postdiagnosis. A major driver of adverse clinical outcomes is failure to achieve remission, which has been associated with increased rates of needing replacement renal therapy and death.

Obinutuzumab is a humanized monoclonal antibody designed with a type II anti-CD20 region for direct B-cell death and a glycoengineered Fc region for increased binding affinity and increased antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity. The therapy has already been approved for adults with 

 and in 100 countries for various types of hematological cancers.

MAJESTY, the phase 3 randomized, open-label, multicenter study, evaluated the efficacy and safety of obinutuzumab compared to tacrolimus in patients with PMN. The study included 142 participants who were randomized in a 1:1 ratio to receive either obinutuzumab or tacrolimus. The primary endpoint was the percentage of people who achieved complete remission at week 104, or 2 years.

From the primary results, investigators reported statistically significant and clinically meaningful results with obinutuzumab in achieving complete remission at 2 years. Overall, safety was in line with the previous safety profile of obinutuzumab, with no new safety signals identified.

Upon analysis of key secondary endpoints, investigators observed statistically significant and clinically meaningful benefits in patients treated with obinutuzumab compared to those treated with tacrolimus in overall remission, complete or partial, at week 104 and complete remission at week 76.

Genentech Announces Positive Phase III Results for Gazyva in Primary Membranous Nephropathy, Marking a Significant Milestone in This Autoimmune Disease. BusinessWire. Published February 16, 2026. Accessed February 16, 2026. 

https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260215765811/en/Genentech-Announces-Positive-Phase-III-Results-for-Gazyva-in-Primary-Membranous-Nephropathy-Marking-a-Significant-Milestone-in-This-Autoimmune-Disease

Westermann L, Rottmann FA, Hug MJ, et al. Clinical covariates influencing clinical outcomes in primary membranous nephropathy. 

https://doi.org/10.1186/s12882-023-03288-x

Articles

MAJESTY, a phase 3 study evaluating obinutuzumab in primary membranous nephropathy, demonstrates positive efficacy and safety.  


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The HCPLive nephrology page is a resource for medical news and expert insights on kidney disease. This page features expert-led coverage, articles, videos and research on the therapies and development of treatments in nephrology, and more.

MAJESTY: Obinutuzumab Achieves 2 Year Complete Remission in Primary Membranous Nephropathy

Frances Lee, MD, is an assistant professor of medicine in the division of liver diseases at Mount Sinai.

The Safety of PPAR Agonists in PBC: Reviewing Recent Trial Data

In this episode, “The Safety of PPAR Agonists in PBC: Reviewing Recent Trial Data” the expert hepatologists explore key safety data from the ELATIVE trial on elafibranor and from RESPONSE on seladelpar.

Led by the moderator, the panelists examine the following critical question:

What have we learned about the safety of PPAR agonists from the primary trials of elafibranor (ELATIVE) and seladelpar (RESPONSE)?

Throughout the conversation, the experts provide a comprehensive reflection on the field and the factors that may shape how clinicians approach care moving forward.

The next episode in this series, “Addressing Fatigue: Traditional Management Outside Primary Therapy,” features the panelists advancing their conversation on PBC and focusing on how they typically manage patient fatigue beyond primary therapies. They discuss how to coach patients into beneficial health and wellness routines to reduce fatigue, and stress the importance of a regular sleeping schedule.

Videos

Explore the safety and long-term effects of PPAR agonists in patients with liver disease, addressing concerns about bone health and medication interactions.

Abraham Kazemi, MD, is the director of Cosmetic and Laser Dermatology for Virginia’s Pinnacle Dermatology sites.

Skin of Color Savvy: The Art and Science of Treating Patients of Color

Skin of Color Savvy: Serving the Underserved in Dermatology, With Abrahem Kazemi, MD

, board-certified dermatologist and director of cosmetics and laser dermatology for Pinnacle Dermatology, Abrahem Kazemi, MD, reflects on the personal and professional experiences that have shaped his approach to dermatologic care, particularly for underserved patient populations.

Practicing in northern Virginia, Kazemi describes building his clinic from the ground up and caring for a high-volume patient population that includes a significant number of Medicaid and underinsured individuals. He was asked about his journey into dermatology and shared that his interest was deeply personal. As a college student, he experienced severe nodulocystic acne and faced substantial barriers to accessing specialty care, resulting in delayed isotretinoin therapy and permanent scarring. That experience, he explained, instilled in him a commitment to closing gaps in dermatologic access and to practicing with empathy and humanism—values reinforced during his medical training at Howard University College of Medicine.

Kazemi also discussed the challenges of practicing dermatology in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, having completed residency training in New York City during the height of the crisis. He emphasized how that experience strengthened his resilience and prepared him to navigate complex clinical scenarios. Today, he frequently manages advanced presentations of disease among patients who face systemic barriers to care, including severe hidradenitis suppurativa, scarring alopecias such as central centrifugal cicatricial alopecia (CCCA), and advanced skin cancers.

His clinical interests center on skin of color, inflammatory dermatoses, and hair disorders. He highlighted advances in systemic and procedural therapies for alopecia and hidradenitis suppurativa, including newer biologics and emerging oral agents. In cosmetic dermatology, Kazemi underscored the importance of appropriate laser selection and parameter adjustment in melanin-rich skin, cautioning against procedures performed by inadequately trained providers due to the risk of dyspigmentation and scarring.

A particularly impactful case involved a young man with discoid lupus erythematosus complicated by social instability and limited resources. He described coordinating care across rheumatology, primary care, psychiatry, and social services to ensure appropriate evaluation and treatment, ultimately achieving disease control. The case, he noted, reinforced that dermatology is rarely “skin deep” and often intersects with broader systemic and social determinants of health.

Kazemi also spoke about his involvement with the Skin of Color Society, particularly on its Media and Communications Subcommittee, emphasizing the importance of elevating evidence-based messaging as demographic shifts increase the relevance of skin of color expertise nationwide. He concluded with a message to colleagues and trainees: resilience, self-belief, and perseverance are essential, as the impact of dermatologic care—especially for underserved communities—extends far beyond the clinic.

To learn more about SOCS’s programs and initiatives, visit 

Editor’s note: This interview summary was edited with the help of AI tools.

This Skin of Color Savvy episode featured Abrahem Kazemi, MD, who speaks on several notable experiences he had as a dermatologist.

Dermatology

The HCPLive dermatology page is a resource for medical news and expert insights on skin disease. This page features expert-led coverage, articles, videos and research on the therapies and development of treatments for dermatologic conditions, and more.

Podcasts

podcasts page features a feed of medical news and interview podcast series, including DocTalk, Lungcast, Derm Discussions, and Heart Trials.

Hosted by Skin of Color Society and produced by HCPLive, 

 delves into the latest research, clinical insights, and culturally intelligent care practices in dermatology with leading experts. 

Whether it’s groundbreaking research, practice-changing insights, or highlights from the SOCS community, this twice-monthly program provides dermatologists and care providers with expert perspectives on treating patients with skin of color.

The Efficacy of PPAR Agonists in PBC: Signals of Extrahepatic Improvements

This episode, titled “The Efficacy of PPAR Agonists in PBC: Signals of Extrahepatic Improvements,” features panelists discussing the mechanisms of action for both approved second-line therapies, elafibranor and seladelpar. They highlight the secondary fatigue and pruritus improvements observed in both agents and how that informs treatment decisions.

Led by the moderator, the experts examine the following critical questions:

If first-line treatment response is inadequate, there are currently two approved second-line treatments: elafibranor and seladelpar. Please compare and contrast the mechanisms of action among these two agents.

What have we learned about the efficacy of PPAR agonists from the primary trials of elafibranor (ELATIVE) and seladelpar (RESPONSE)?

What have we learned about the durability and biochemical impact of long-term elafibranor (ELATIVE OLE) or seladelpar (ASSURE OLE) from their respective open-label extension trials?

In the next episode, “The Safety of PPAR Agonists in PBC: Reviewing Recent Trial Data,” panelists will continue their discussion on PBC and highlight safety data from the ELATIVE and RESPONSE trials.

Explore the latest FDA-approved second-line therapies for PBC, including seladelpar and elafibranor, and their mechanisms of action.

No Class-Specific Early-Life Antibiotics Linked to Allergy, With Moath Hattab, MD

In a multicenter retrospective cohort of 423 children exposed to antibiotics in the first 6 months of life, nearly one-third (29.6%) were reported to have developed 

 in later childhood, with no clear association by antibiotic class or number of classes used.

“The absence of a class specific signal suggests that within antibiotic exposed infants, they couldn't identify one common antibiotic class that consistently increased or decreased later allergy risk, which is consistent with most previous studies, indicating no less specific association, but a general association between antibiotics and allergy,” lead investigator Moath Hattab, MD, from An-Najah National University, told 

The analysis revisits a longstanding clinical concern: whether early microbiome disruption meaningfully alters allergic risk trajectories. Another study published this year showed that early-life gut bacteria were linked to a lower food allergy risk and identified the strongest drivers of colonization with allergy-protective gut bacteria in infancy, which included vaginal delivery, exclusive breastfeeding, and early exposure to siblings.

Hattab and colleagues hypothesized that antibiotic use in infants would alter the microbiota and, as a result, would increase allergy risk.

 The study, conducted across 3 hospitals in the West Bank, Palestine, from April 2024 to January 2025, included 423 children (mean age, 7.33 years; 62.41% males) who had received antibiotic treatment within the first 6 months of life. The most frequently prescribed antibiotics were Beta-lactams: cefotaxime (78.49%) and ampicillin (63.59%).

Early-life antibiotics led to allergies in 29.55% of the sample. The most common manifestations of allergies included skin reactions (70.4%), wheezing (16.8%), and respiratory symptoms (10.4%); frequent triggers were food (10.17%) and dust (7.33%). The team observed a significant decrease in allergy with increasing age (

The study identified no significant link between the number of antibiotics used and the development of allergies (

 =.45). The analysis also did not show an association between the class of antibiotics and allergy development, except for Trimethoprim/Sulfamethoxazole (

“We saw a small signal suggesting lower allergy odds with trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole as well,” Hattab said. “Because this exposure was uncommon, and the study is observational, it's not practice-changing. It's best viewed as a research signal to test a larger prospective data set.”

Hattab M, Sarrees YA, Sous M, et al. Early-life antibiotics and childhood allergy: a multi-center cohort. 

Pedersen S. HCPLive. Early-Life Gut Bacteria Linked to Lower Food Allergy Risk, With Susanne Pedersen. Published on February 5, 2026. Accessed on February 13, 2026. 

https://www.hcplive.com/view/early-life-gut-bacteria-linked-lower-food-allergy-risk-susanne-pedersen

A new study found no association between antibiotic class or number of classes in infancy and later allergic disease, reinforcing stewardship over substitution.


Allergy

Allergy condition center page is a comprehensive resource for clinical news and insights on allergic and inflammatory diseases. This page consists of interviews, articles, podcasts, and videos on the research, treatment and development of therapies for food and seasonal allergies, as well as allergic asthma and related conditions.

Zobair Younossi, MD, MPH, is chairman of the Global NASH/MASH Council and professor and chairman of Beatty Liver and Obesity Research at Inova Health System.

Younossi emphasizes the need for NIT-based risk stratification for MASLD, citing his research supporting their widespread adoption across clinical settings.

Hepatology

MASH / MASLD

The HCPLive MASH & MASLD page is a comprehensive resource for clinical news and insights on metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease and steatohepatitis. This page consists of interviews, articles, podcasts, and videos on the research, treatment and development of therapies for fatty liver disease, steatohepatitis, and more.

From Validation to Implementation: Scaling NITs in MASLD Care, With Zobair Younossi, MD, MPH

Rudolf Valenta, of the Medical University of Vienna

Valenta discusses how seasonal allergen exposure selectively boosts IgE production through plasmablast recall, without a coordinated IgG response.


Seasonal Allergy

Seasonal Allergen Exposure Recalls IgE Plasmablasts in Birch Allergy, With Rudolf Valenta

Ruchika Goel, MD, is a professor and associate vice chair of research at SIU School of Medicine.

Low post-transfusion platelet increments did not predict mortality or length of stay in pediatric patients.

Hematology

When Platelet Increments Matter, With Ruchika Goel, MD

Jeffrey Downey, PhD, is a postdoctoral student at the Swirski laboratory at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.

Downey discusses the recent discovery of influenza’s interaction with the interferon 1 pathway, as well as a hypothetical method for preventing it.

Cardiology

Cardiology condition center page is a comprehensive resource for clinical news and insights on cardiovascular and cardiometabolic diseases. This page consists of interviews, articles, podcasts, and videos on the research, treatment and development of therapies for heart disease and cardiovascular events, as well as associated diabetes, renal failure, and more...

Influenza

The HCPLive influenza page is a resource for medical news and expert insights on the flu. This page features expert-led coverage, articles, videos and research on the therapies and development of treatments for influenza, and more.

Family Medicine

Family Medicine condition center page, resources on the topics of medical news and expert insight into family care can be found. Content includes articles, interviews, videos, podcasts, and breaking news on Family medicine research, treatment, and drug development.

Interferon 1 Responsible for Causing Cardiac Events During Influenza Infection, With Jeffrey Downey, PhD

vice president of programs, public affairs, and research at Lung Health Foundation.

The free, user-friendly calculator provides a 6-year lung cancer risk estimate to help patients and clinicians assess screening eligibility.


Pulmonology

Infectious Disease condition center page is a comprehensive resource for clinical news and insights on respiratory health. This page consists of interviews, articles, podcasts, and videos on the research, treatment and development of therapies for asthma, COPD, interstitial lung disease, COVID-19, and more.

Lung Cancer

Tool Predicts a 6-Year-Risk Lung Cancer Risk in Minutes, With Jessica Moffatt, PhD

Abigail Brooks is an assistant managing editor for 

She joined MJH Life Sciences in August 2023 shortly after graduating from Monmouth University where she earned her BA in Communication with a concentration in Public Relations/Journalism and later an MA in Interactive Digital Media. She enjoys traveling, running, and reading books. She can be reached at abrooks@mjhlifesciences.com.

Survey findings highlight abdominal and bowel symptom control, affordability, and formulary or insurance coverage as factors driving perceptions and prescribing patterns of PERT.

Gastroenterology

Gastroenterology condition center page is a comprehensive resource for clinical news and insights on digestive and GI conditions. This page consists of interviews, articles, podcasts, and videos on the research, treatment and development of therapies for 

, IBS and IBD, Crohn's disease, and more.

Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency

The HCPLive Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency page is a comprehensive resource for clinical news and insights on exocrine pancreatic insufficiency. This page consists of interviews, articles, podcasts, and videos on the research, treatment and development of therapies.

Real-World Prescribing Patterns of PERT in Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency

Mark Kaufmann, MD, is a clinical professor in the Department of Dermatology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City.

Mark Kaufmann, MD, speaks on maximizing your billing effectiveness in the era of dwindling reimbursements and ICD-10.

Conference

 conference coverage page features articles, videos, and expert-led live coverage from major medical meetings throughout the year.

Strategies on Maximizing Billing Effectiveness for Clinicians, With Mark Kaufmann, MD

Younossi explains the growing interest in NITs for MASLD and reviews his research on their performance in age, diabetes, and obesity subgroups.

Diagnostic Performance of NITs Across MASLD Subgroups, With Zobair Younossi, MD, MPH

Frank Gonzalez is an attending physician at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles and an assistant professor of clinical pediatrics at Keck School of Medicine of USC.

Gonzalez explains how new findings in weather-related emergency department visits and pain in pediatric sickle cell disease can guide clinicians. 


Sickle Cell

Sickle Cell condition center page, resources on the topics of medical news and expert insight into sickle cell disease can be found. Content includes articles, interviews, videos, podcasts, and breaking news on sickle cell research, treatment, and drug development.

Managing Climate Change-Induced Sickle Cell Pain Crises With Frank Gonzalez, MD

David Rizik, MD, is an interventional cardiologist at Banner University Health.

Rizik and Morris discuss the Heartflow PCI Navigator, which analyzes CT scans to generate 3D models of calcium blockages ahead of procedures.

Latest News

MAJESTY: Obinutuzumab Achieves 2 Year Complete Remission in Primary Membranous Nephropathy

The Safety of PPAR Agonists in PBC: Reviewing Recent Trial Data

Skin of Color Savvy: Serving the Underserved in Dermatology, With Abrahem Kazemi, MD

The Efficacy of PPAR Agonists in PBC: Signals of Extrahepatic Improvements

No Class-Specific Early-Life Antibiotics Linked to Allergy, With Moath Hattab, MD