The Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP), an arm of the European Medicines Agency (EMA), recommended the approval of Benlysta (belimumab) as an add-on therapy for children age 5 and older with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and high disease activity. The European Commission will…
Aiming to raise disease awareness and research funds, the Lupus Foundation of America’s (LFA) Walk to End Lupus Now hits Los Angeles on Sept. 28. Taking place at the LA Live complex, the 1.33-mile event will again feature actress Kate Linder of television’s “The Young and…
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted the designation of breakthrough therapy to Gazyva (obinutuzumab) for the treatment of adult patients with lupus nephritis, a life-threatening kidney inflammation. The breakthrough designation is given to medications that…
Reactivation of the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) may result in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) in at-risk individuals, according to a study in relatives of SLE patients. The findings also revealed that gene variants previously associated with EBV infection are implicated in the risk of developing SLE. The research, “…
There is a strong need for multidisciplinary and specific research on childhood-onset systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) to help better understand the condition and guide treatment, a study by the Childhood Arthritis and Rheumatology Research Alliance (CARRA) and Lupus Foundation of America…
The Childhood Arthritis and Rheumatology Research Alliance (CARRA) has been awarded a three-year $2.4-million grant from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which will help efforts to understand the long-term outcomes of children and adolescents with lupus or other rheumatic diseases. The grant is meant…
PROMIS10, a health survey by Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information Systems, can measure and monitor important aspects of patients’ experiences with lupus that are not captured by standard questionnaires, a new study found. This free, short-form survey may help optimize the management of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) based…
A new type of functional magnetic resonance imaging — called 3D arterial spin labeling (3D-ASL) — that measures blood flow in the brain may help in the early detection of lupus affecting the brain, a study suggests. The study, “Cerebral blood flow abnormalities in neuropsychiatric systemic lupus erythematosus,”…
Adding anifrolumab to standard-of-care treatment led to a clinically meaningful reduction in disease activity at week 52 in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), according to top-line results of a Phase 3 trial. The TULIP 2 study (NCT02446899) assessed the safety and efficacy of AstraZeneca’s anifrolumab in…
The Lupus Foundation of America’s (LFA) Gina M. Finzi Memorial Student Summer Fellowship Program aims to cultivate the next generation of lupus researchers. This year, six new members are well on their way. The students’ projects focus on scientific areas including genetics, lupus nephritis, disease education, and…