News

First Skin Lupus Patient Dosed in Phase 2/3 Trial of Litifilimab

The first participant has been dosed in a pivotal Phase 2/3 trial testing Biogen’s anti-inflammatory medication litifilimab (BIIB059) in people with cutaneous lupus erythematosus (CLE), the company announced. The study, called AMETHYST (NCT05531565), is recruiting adults with CLE, whose disease is active despite standard antimalarial treatment, at…

Itolizumab Shows Promise For Lupus Nephritis Patients in Early Trial Data

Equillium’s investigational antibody-based treatment, itolizumab (EQ001), led to significant reductions in urine protein levels — a marker of kidney dysfunction — in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients with active lupus nephritis, according to an interim analysis from the type B portion of the Phase 1b EQUALISE clinical trial.

Treatments for Lupus May Reduce Response to COVID-19 Vaccination

Antibodies mounted against COVID-19 in the three to six months following vaccination were lower in patients undergoing treatment for lupus than in healthy people, a study has found. Patients with untreated lupus (also called systemic lupus erythematosus, or SLE) showed a similar level of antibodies as healthy people. Fewer…

Telitacicept Reduces SLE Severity in Phase 3 Trial in China

Telitacicept, a B-cell-targeting therapy developed by RemeGen, outperformed a placebo at reducing the severity of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) in a Phase 3 clinical trial in China, the company announced. “We are delighted with the news of the preliminary results of the Phase III confirmatory study of our proprietary…

European Commission OKs Lupkynis for Active Lupus Nephritis

The European Commission has approved Lupkynis (voclosporin) to treat active lupus nephritis, a serious complication of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) that is characterized by kidney inflammation. The approval is valid in all European Union (EU) member states, as well as Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Northern Ireland. Lupkynis received a similar…

DxTerity Test to Guide SLE Therapy Now Available in All 50 US States

DxTerity Diagnostics’ interferon-1 gene signature test, which can be used to help guide treatment decisions for people with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), is now available for use in all 50 U.S. states, the company has announced. “It is our mission to transform patient care with precision diagnostic tools that…

Litifilimab Shown to Reduce Number of Swollen Joints in Phase 2 Trial

Litifilimab (BIIB059), Biogen’s investigational antibody-based treatment for systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), significantly reduced the number of swollen and tender joints in people with the autoimmune inflammatory disease over six months, new trial data show. With these positive results, the treatment candidate met the main goal of part A of the…

SLE Incidence Rates Rose in US for Past Four Decades

The incidence of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) has increased in the U.S. the past four decades, a recent study shows. Study data also indicated the increased incidence seen during that time was significantly higher among racial and ethnic minority populations. “As the US population grows more diverse, we might continue…