Merck recently reported positive results from its Phase 2b study of the experimental drug atacicept as a treatment for systemic lupus erythematosus, with particularly good results in patients with high disease activity. The study, “Efficacy and Safety of Atacicept in Patients with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus: Results of a 24-week Randomized,…
Anthera Pharmaceuticals’ CHABLIS-SC1 Phase 3 clinical trial of its investigational therapy blisibimod did not meet its primary endpoint. After 52 weeks of treatment, there was no statistically significant clinical benefit for systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients treated with the drug compared to placebo-treated patients. Blisibimod acts by blocking BAFF, a…
Researchers discovered a new mechanism linking specific classes of immune cells and metabolism, a finding that may explain why patients with lupus are incapable of controlling the inflammatory responses that ultimately lead to disease. The study, “Foxp3 and Toll-like receptor signaling balance Treg cell anabolic metabolism for…
A drug that blocks a DNA-cutting enzyme, called irinotecan, should be considered as a treatment option for people with systemic lupus erythematosus researchers argued, after confirming the compound’s benefit in yet another lupus mouse model. The research team believes that clinical trials are now needed to explore the treatment in…
A case-control study found that patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) show a high prevalence of brain alterations that are clinically associated with cerebral small vessel disease (SVD) — a potential cause of strokes — although a clear link between SLE and SVD was not established. SLE is an inflammatory autoimmune disease…
Neovacs announced that it has enrolled the first patient in the United States in its expanded, Phase 2b global clinical trial evaluating IFNalpha-Kinoid, a therapeutic vaccine, to treat systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). The trial (NCT02665364), which began in September 2015, has attracted the interest of American clinical centers and autoimmune…
Aurinia Pharmaceuticals will take its drug candidate voclosporin into a possibly pivotal Phase 3 clinical trial of its efficacy in treating lupus nephritis — kidney disease caused by systemic lupus erythematosus. Following Phase 2 study meetings with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Aurinia believes the new trial will provide…
Merck KGaA announced that it will present two posters showing positive clinical data for its drug candidate atacicept, a recombinant fusion protein for the treatment of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). The presentations will take place at the 2016 American College of Rheumatology/Association of Rheumatology Health Professionals (ACR/ARHP) Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C., which opens on Friday and runs through…
Scientists found a natural protein in immune cells, called CD72, that prevents the abnormal and damaging immune responses characteristic of autoimmune diseases, such as systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Findings in the study, “CD72 negatively regulates B lymphocyte responses to the lupus-related endogenous toll-like receptor 7 ligand Sm/RNP,” recently published in The…
We love food. We salivate over it as we watch television commercials, spend hours enjoying it as we dine out with friends and family. And, if we fancy ourselves chefs, we spend time pouring over new recipes and finding new flavors. Still, we don’t always take into…