News

Lupus Research Alliance gives awards to 5 minority researchers

The Lupus Research Alliance has named the winners of this year’s Awards to Promote Diversity in Lupus Research, all from underrepresented minority groups who are interested in studying lupus. Four researchers were selected to receive a Career Development Award, which provides up to $600,000 over four years to…

Germany approves Phase 1/2 trial of KYV-101 for lupus nephritis

Kyverna Therapeutics is planning to launch a Phase 1/2 trial in Germany to test KYV-101, its investigational cell therapy for lupus nephritis, a lupus complication characterized by kidney damage. The study was approved by the Paul Ehrlich Institute (PEI), which is responsible for examining clinical trials of investigational…

Dosing begins in Phase 2b trial for SLE therapy ESK-001

A Phase 2b clinical trial of ESK-001, an oral treatment for systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), has begun dosing patients, according to its developer Alumis. The trial, called LUMUS, is expected to enroll about 388 adults with moderately to severely active SLE who test positive for self-reactive antibodies (autoantibodies).

Trethera wins grant to develop SLE treatment candidate TRE-515

Trethera will use a $0.6 million Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) grant to advance TRE-515, its lead candidate for systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). The grant comes from the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), from which the company…

First patient enrolled in Phase 1 trial of KYV-101 CAR-T cell therapy

The first patient has been enrolled in a Phase 1 clinical trial testing KYV-101, Kyverna Therapeutics’ candidate cell therapy for refractory lupus nephritis, a serious lupus complication characterized by kidney damage and inflammation. The open-label trial, which follows FDA’s green light in November, is actively recruiting nine to…

Team approach to lupus care being tested at Duke Health

A new project incubating at Duke Advanced Practice Provider Leadership Institute (APPLI) seeks to foster a team approach to lupus care at Duke Health in Durham, North Carolina. The project is being led by Keisha-Gaye O’Garo, a clinical psychologist, and Karen McCain, a psychiatric nurse practitioner, both from…

Phase 3 trials of ianalumab for SLE, lupus nephritis now enrolling

Three new Phase 3 clinical trials testing the experimental therapy ianalumab in people with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and lupus nephritis are now recruiting patients. All three trials are being sponsored by Novartis, the company developing ianalumab. Lupus Therapeutics, the clinical research affiliate of the Lupus Research Alliance,…

Lupkynis helps protect kidneys with lupus nephritis and high proteinuria

Lupkynis (voclosporin) combined with background lupus treatments better preserved kidney function among a subgroup of lupus nephritis patients with particularly high protein levels in the urine (proteinuria) compared with background therapy alone. Notably, these benefits were observed regardless of patients’ baseline demographic or clinical characteristics, and they were…