Lupus Drug Development

There has only been one drug approved for lupus in over 50 years (Benlysta™), and current options are often as toxic and damaging as the disease itself.

But unlike a decade or two ago, there is now real hope that safe new treatments will soon be introduced and approved by the FDA.

Today there is “cautious optimism” on new drugs for lupus.

But who holds the keys to spurring new lupus therapeutics? Read about one expert’s perspective.

Why are clinical trials so vital to moving lupus treatments forward? See how trial, doctor, and participant can make it happen

Latest News on Lupus Drug Development

• Newer Drug Seems Better at Controlling Lupus Kidney Complication
  November 16, 2011
• Lupus Research Institute Reports on Lupus Drug Development at ACR 2011
  November 13, 2011
• Epratuzumab Phase IIB Data Demonstrated Sensitivity of BICLA, a Novel BILAG-Based Composite Endpoint
  November 8, 2011
• Immunization Against Interferon Alpha Shows Positive Effect on Immune System in People with Lupus
  November 5, 2011
• Vitamin D, Interferon Alpha Vaccine Show Promise Against Lupus
  November 5, 2011
• Lupus Making Headlines Indicates New Level of Promise...and Hope
  November 4, 2011
• FDA Grants Lupuzor Fast Track Status
  November 3, 2011
• ImmuPharma in licensing talks for lupus drug
  November 3, 2011
• Rituximab after methotrexate failure in rheumatoid arthritis: evaluation of the SERENE trial.
  Expert Opin Biol Ther. 2011 Aug 2. [Epub ahead of print]
• After half-century's wait, approval paves path for new lupus drug.
  Nat Med. 2011 Apr;17(4):400.
• First lupus drug in half a century approved.
  http://www.lupusresearchinstitute.org/news/lupusnews/11/03/10/first-lupus-drug-half-century-approved
• BAFF inhibition: A new class of drugs for the treatment of autoimmunity.
  Exp Cell Res. 2011 Feb 17.
• Treatment of systemic lupus erythematosus with epratuzumab.
  Br J Clin Pharmacol. 2011 Feb;71(2):175-82. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2125.2010.03767.x.
• UCB announces start of phase III programme with epratuzumab for patients with moderate to severe systemic lupus erythematosus
  http://www.ucb.presscentre.com/content/detail.aspx?ReleaseID=420&NewsAreaID=2&changeCurrentLocale=1
• Advances in drug therapy for systemic lupus erythematosus.
  BMC Med. 2010 Nov 29;8:77. Review.
• Treatment of lupus nephritis.
  Expert Rev Clin Immunol. 2010 Nov;6(6):901-11.
• Use of methotrexate in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus and primary Sjögren's syndrome.
  Clin Exp Rheumatol. 2010 Sep-Oct;28(5 Suppl 61):S156-9.
• Target therapies in systemic lupus erythematosus: current state of the art.
  Mini Rev Med Chem. 2010 Sep;10(10):956-65. Review.
• Mycophenolate mofetil for induction treatment of lupus nephritis: a systematic review and metaanalysis.
  J Rheumatol. 2011 Jan;38(1):69-78. Epub 2010 Oct 15.
• New and emerging treatment approaches to lupus.
  Biologics. 2010 Sep 13;4:263-71.
• A new tool for detection of type I interferon activation in systemic lupus erythematosus.
  Arthritis Res Ther. 2010;12(4):138. Epub 2010 Aug 26.
• Cutaneous lupus erythematosus: Update of therapeutic options Part II.
  J Am Acad Dermatol. 2010 Aug 25. [Epub ahead of print]
• Biological therapy for lupus nephritis-tribulations and trials.
  Nat Rev Rheumatol. 2010 Sep;6(9):547-52. Epub 2010 Jul 20.
• Anticytokine therapies in systemic lupus erythematosus.
  Immunotherapy. 2010 Jul;2(4):575-82. Review.
• Anti-TNF-alpha therapies in systemic lupus erythematosus.
  J Biomed Biotechnol. 2010;2010:465898. Epub 2010 Jun 22. Review.
• B cells as therapeutic targets in SLE.
  Nat Rev Rheumatol. 2010 Jun;6(6):326-37. Review.