AMPEL BioSolutions is seeking $12.5 million in funding to market LuGene, a personalized blood test that uses genetic information from a patient to predict treatment response and lupus flares. The company has initiated a Series A round of financing, which refers to the first significant step…
Two comprehensive tools can reliably measure changes in disease activity in people with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), a new study suggests. The findings support the use of these instruments — the SELENA SLEDAI Physician’s Global Assessment, known as the SSPGA, and the Lupus Foundation of America-Rapid Evaluation of Activity…
Excessive production of type I interferon (IFN-I) — a molecule that mediates immune and inflammatory responses — in people with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) may be caused by small fragments of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) that are released upon damage, a study suggested. The study, “VDAC oligomers…
BioMed X and Merck are establishing a combined research group that will focus on the role of the gut epithelial barrier in the development and progression of autoimmune diseases, including systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and multiple sclerosis. This new group will extend the companies’ continuing partnership to…
Exposure to dust and having post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as a result of the 9/11 terrorist attacks in New York are associated with an increased risk of developing autoimmune diseases such as systemic lupus erythematosus, a study reports. This finding highlights the need for better monitoring of the…
Using glucocorticoids to treat inflammation in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) was associated with organ damage in patients without active disease, a large study found. These findings draw attention to the possible harmful effects of glucocorticoids — a type of corticosteroid hormone —…
Culminating more than a year of advocacy by the Lupus Foundation of America and others, President Donald Trump has signed into law provisions for nearly $19 million in new funding for lupus research and education. The funding bills, which included $41.7 billion for the National Institutes of…
Adding Benlysta (belimumab) to standard therapy increased the percentage of people with active lupus nephritis who experienced improved renal function in a Phase 3 trial. The BLISS-LN study (NCT01639339) was designed to evaluate Benlysta’s safety and efficacy in people with active lupus nephritis, a common and…
Physical and emotional abuse during childhood may increase the risk of developing systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) later in life, a new study has found. The study, “Association of Childhood Abuse with Incident Systemic Lupus Erythematosus in Adulthood in a Longitudinal Cohort of Women,” was published in …
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted fast track designation to itolizumab as a potential therapy for lupus nephritis, a common and serious complication of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) that can lead to kidney failure. This designation is given to compounds that show considerable potential in treating serious conditions for which…