Unraveling CIDP: Complement in focus

Wondering how complement affects axonal integrity in people with chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP)? Hear what the experts had to say in highlights from this Sanofi-sponsored symposium held at the 2025 Peripheral Nerve Society (PNS) Annual Meeting in Edinburgh, Scotland. Claudia Sommer (University Hospital of Würzburg, Germany) chaired the event and was joined by expert speakers Jan Lünemann (University of Münster, Germany) and Jeffrey Allen (University of Minnesota, USA).

Claudia Sommer, Jan Lünemann, and Jeffrey Allen come together to address key questions in CIDP, exploring a range of a topics, including complement inhibition, the value of early intervention, non-responders, and treatment approaches. The HCP experts reveived compensation from Sanofi in connection with this presentation. View transcript.

Meet the experts

Claudia Sommer, MD

Claudia Sommer is Professor of Neurology at the University of Würzburg, Germany. Her research interests include the role of autoantibodies in immune-mediated neuropathies, biomarkers in CIDP and other polyneuropathies, and the pathophysiology of neuropathic pain, with a particular focus on the phases of pain induction and resolution. She is an active member of national and international guidelines committees, with a focus on improving the treatment of pain.

Disclosures: Consultant or educational speaker for AKIGAI, Algiax, Alnylam, Annexon Biosciences, argenx, CSL Behring, Grifols, GSK, Kedrion Biopharma, Nevro, Novartis, Pfizer, Sanofi, Takeda, and Teva.

Jan Lünemann, MD, MBA

Jan Lünemann is Professor of Neurology and Neuroimmunology at the University of Münster, Germany. His research primarily focuses on understanding how the immune system functions in autoimmune diseases, including immune-mediated peripheral neuropathies like CIDP, with the goal of improving immunotherapeutic strategies. He has also been involved in several studies investigating the mechanisms and implications of complement system activation.

Disclosures: Received research/travel support, and/or served on advisory boards for AbbVie, Alexion, Adivo Associates, Amgen, argenx, Biogen, CSL Behring, Janssen–Cilag, Merck, Moderna, Novartis, Roche, Sanofi, Takeda, and UCB Pharma.

Jeffrey Allen, MD

Jeffrey Allen is an Associate Professor of Neurology at the University of Minnesota, USA. His interests are focused primarily on inflammatory neuropathies, including Guillain–Barré syndrome, CIDP, and multifocal motor neuropathy. He has been involved in several studies focused on the diagnosis and management of CIDP, with the aim of tailoring treatment to individual patient needs.

Disclosures: Consultant for Alexion, Alnylam, Annexon Biosciences, argenx, AstraZeneca, CSL Behring, Dianthus Therapeutics, Grifols, Hansa Biopharma, ImmunoPharma, Immunovant, Octapharma, Pfizer, Sanofi, and Takeda.