Publications
Find coverage of the latest original articles on Lupus, focusing on those with data on therapeutic interventions and those that have clinical impact.
December 2023
Kidney Outcomes and Preservation of Kidney Function with Obinutuzumab in Patients with Lupus Nephritis: A Post Hoc Analysis of the NOBILITY Trial
Arthritis Rheumatol. 2023 DOI 10.1002/art.42734
This post hoc analysis of the Phase 2 NOBILITY trial determined that obinutuzumab plus standard of care improved the likelihood of long-term preservation of kidney function and improved kidney function with less glucocorticoid use in patients with lupus nephritis.
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November 2023
Emerging Immunotherapeutic Strategies for Cutaneous Lupus Erythematosus: An Overview of Recent Phase 2 and 3 Clinical Trials
Expert Opin Emerg Drugs 2023;28(4):257–73 DOI: 10.1080/14728214.2023.2273536
Current treatments for refractory CLE are insufficient, often leading to suboptimal disease control, and demanding escalated therapies associated with systemic toxicities. However, recent Phase 2 & 3 trials offer promising results, suggesting new therapeutics approved for CLE are on the horizon.
October 2023
Repeat Kidney Biopsy Findings of Lupus Nephritis Patients in Clinical Remission Treated with Mycophenolate Associated with Belimumab or Mycophenolate Plus Standard of Care Therapy. A “Post-hoc" Analysis of Participants in the BLISS-LN and Open Label Extension Study Belonging to a Single Center
doi: 10.1177/09612033231204070 Epub ahead of print
Single-centre study concludes that adding belimumab to the standard of care treatment with mycophenolate (MMF) increases the possibility of achieving a complete clinical response (CCR), complete histological response (CHR), and a lower rate of relapses during treatment and long follow-up.
September 2023
Preclinical Evidence for the Glucocorticoid-Sparing Potential of a Dual Toll-Like Receptor 7/8 Inhibitor in Autoimmune Diseases
J Pharmacol Exp Ther. 2023 doi: 10.1124/jpet.123.001744 Epub ahead of print
Preclinical evidence indicates a glucocorticoid (GC)-sparing potential for toll-like receptor (TLR)7/8 inhibitor compounds, suggesting TLR7/8i may offer a new strategy for the treatment of autoimmune diseases.
August 2023
Effect of Belimumab on Kidney-related Outcomes in Patients with Lupus Nephritis: Post Hoc Subgroup Analyses of the Phase 3 BLISS-LN Trial
Nephrol Dial Transplant. 2023;38(12):2733–42 doi: 10.1093/ndt/gfad167 Epub ahead of print.
These data highlight the consistent benefit of belimumab versus placebo, combined with standard therapy, on kidney outcomes in both newly diagnosed and relapsed patients, and regardless of the use of GC pulses at induction.
SGLT2 Inhibitors Alleviated Podocyte Damage in Lupus Nephritis by Decreasing Inflammation and Enhancing Autophagy
Ann Rheum Dis. 2023 DOI: 10.1136/ard-2023-224242
Data revealed a renoprotective effect of SGLT2 inhibitors by reducing proteinuria and preserving renal function in the murine MRL/lpr lupus model.
Safety and Efficacy of Long-term Voclosporin Treatment for Lupus Nephritis in the Phase 3 AURORA 2 Clinical Trial
Arthritis Rheumatol. 2023;76(1):59–67 DOI: 10.1002/art.42657
AURORA 2 demonstrated the safety and tolerability of continued administration of voclosporin over 3 years of treatment in patients with LN.
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July 2023
Update on the Efficacy and Safety Profile of Voclosporin: An Integrated Analysis of Clinical Trials in Lupus Nephritis
Arthritis Care Res (Hoboken). 2023 Jul;75(7):1399–1408 DOI: 10.1002/acr.25007
Pooled analysis of data from the AURA-LV phase 2 and AURORA 1 phase 3 trials of voclosporin in patients with active LN demonstrated that significantly more patients achieved a complete renal response at 1 year in the voclosporin than the control group (p<0.0001), with no observation of new safety signals.
May 2023
Belimumab Versus Anifrolumab in Adults with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus: An Indirect Comparison of Clinical Response at 52 Weeks
Lupus Sci. Med 2023;10:e000907 doi 10.1136/lupus-2023-000907
This retrospective study by Neupane, et al. compared belimumab and anifrolumab efficacy at 52 weeks in SLE patients. It concluded that belimumab and anifrolumab have equal efficacy, but further studies would be needed for specific patient demographics.
Litifilimab (BIIB059), a Promising Investigational Drug for Cutaneous Lupus Erythematosus
Expert Opin Investig Drugs 2023;15:1-9 doi 10.1080/13543784.2023.2212154
Cho, et al. discuss the current challenges in the approval of CLE drugs and suggest outcome measures that could streamline the process. They also discuss the pharmacodynamics of litifilimab and the current status of clinical trials.