A secondary analysis of the Belimumab International Study in Lupus Nephritis trial examined effects of belimumab on kidney outcomes and preservation of kidney function in patients with lupus nephritis
Kidney Int. 2022;101(2):403-413 doi: 10.1016/j.kint.2021.08.027
LN is one of the most severe organ manifestations of SLE, yet kidney response rates to current standard therapy plus glucocorticoids remain low.
Already shown to be successful in patients with LN, through the BLISS-LN trial, the recombinant human IgG1ʎ monoclonal antibody belimumab shows superior kidney outcomes and a similar safety profile after the addition of a novel biologic drug to standard therapy. Yet, despite these advances, the efficacy of such emerging therapies in different subpopulations of patients with LN, and in preserving long-term kidney function, remains unclear.
To help provide some clarity, Rovin, et al. carried out a post-hoc analysis of the BLISS-LN data to examine the effects of belimumab in different subgroups of patients with LN, and on other kidney outcomes directly relevant to long-term kidney health and survival.