A standard glucocorticoid regimen plus rituximab was not superior to standard intravenous cyclophosphamide as induction therapy in patients with newly diagnosed antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA)-associated vasculitis and renal involvement. Rates of sustained remission were high in both groups.

This multicenter, randomized, double-blind, double-dummy, noninferiority trial compared rituximab with cyclophosphamide for remission induction in ANCA−associated vasculitis. Rituximab therapy was not inferior to daily cyclophosphamide treatment for remission induction in severe ANCA-associated vasculitis and may be superior in relapsing disease.

Patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus were evaluated for progression of diabetic retinopathy after being randomly assigned to receive several medical therapies. At 4 years, the rate of progression was significantly lower with intensive glycemia therapy than with standard glycemia therapy and significantly lower with simvastatin plus fenofibrate than with simvastatin plus placebo.

In this trial, obese or overweight adults were randomly assigned to receive the selective serotonin 2C receptor agonist lorcaserin or placebo for 52 weeks, along with diet and exercise counseling. Lorcaserin use, in conjunction with behavioral modification, was associated with significant weight loss, improved maintenance of weight loss, and improved levels of cardiovascular biomarkers.

The optimal time to initiate antiretroviral therapy in HIV-infected adults, especially in resource-poor areas, is debated. In this study of HIV-infected adults in Haiti, the investigators found that when antiretroviral therapy was initiated when the CD4 count was greater than 200 and less than 350 per cubic millimeter, as compared with waiting until the CD4 count fell to 200 per cubic millimeter or less, the rate of death was decreased, as was the rate of incident tuberculosis.