Immune cells of the brain and spinal cord, called microglia, contribute to the cognitive deficits seen in some systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients by trimming neurons in the central nervous system, researchers at The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research suggest. Medications commonly used to treat high blood pressure – called…
Rigel Pharmaceuticals is starting a Phase 1 study in healthy people to assess R835, a potential treatment for lupus and other autoimmune diseases. The study will evaluate the safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics (how a drug move inside the body) and pharmacodynamics (how the body affects a drug) of R835 in both single-ascending and…
The Department of Defense recently announced the 13 winners of the 2017 Lupus Research Program, who received a combined total of $5 million to fund lupus research projects of both scientific and clinical interest. Established in 2017, the program is the result of a collaborative effort between the…
Hemogenyx Pharmaceuticals and Rockefeller University recently agreed to collaborate on developing new treatments for lupus using the biotechnology company’s humanized mouse models. Hemogenyx, which is focused on developing new, more effective methods of bone marrow or blood stem cell transplants for blood diseases, will use its modeling…
To help raise awareness of lupus nephritis on World Lupus Day, Aurinia Pharmaceuticals announced some new efforts dedicated to giving patients with the disease an opportunity to connect and share their experiences. The company is collaborating with The Mighty, a digital health community that features stories written by…
Results of a large-scale international survey, released by the World Lupus Federation on World Lupus Day May 10, show a low level of lupus awareness by the general public, revealing a need for increased education and understanding about the disease. Lupus is considered to be a global health problem, with more than…
Lupus remains a poorly known or understood disease, with a recent poll by the Lupus Foundation of America finding 51 percent of respondents worldwide did not even know it is a disease — and one that affects an estimated five million people worldwide. Because such lack of awareness can extent…
The Lupus Research Alliance and its newly formed affiliate Lupus Therapeutics will collaborate with Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMS) to test a novel investigational candidate BMS-986165 as a potential therapy for lupus. BMS-986165 is the first of its kind to be tested in lupus. The medicine is a potent,…
The Lupus Research Alliance recently announced the nine winners of its Novel Research Grants, to support innovative research on lupus. The grants support research into the complexity of lupus from different perspectives. Among the nine winners, studies vary from testing new and existing therapies, to exploring paths for…
Zhijian “James” Chen, PhD recently was awarded the 2018 Lurie Prize in Biomedical Sciences by the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health (FNIH) for his discovery of how DNA stimulates immune responses, potentially causing autoimmune diseases like lupus. The Lurie Prize in Biomedical Sciences will be presented to…