Impact of belimumab on organ damage in systemic lupus erythematosus
Arthritis Care Res (Hoboken). 2022 Epub ahead of print doi: 10.1002/acr.24901
Review of clinical trial and real-world data on the effects of belimumab on organ damage in adult patients with SLE shows that belimumab reduces key drivers of organ damage, decreases organ damage progression and, in those with lupus nephritis (LN), decreases renal-related events.
It is well established that organ damage is a key determinant of poor long-term prognosis and early death in patients with SLE. Consequently, prevention of damage is a key SLE treatment goal, as outlined by the 2019 EULAR recommendations.
In this review, Urowitz, et al. evaluate the clinical trial and real-world data on the effects of belimumab (the only therapy approved for both SLE and LN) on organ damage in adult patients with SLE.