Idera Pharmaceuticals recently presented pre-clinical data on the mechanisms of action behind its antisense (3GA) technology platform, a gene silencing technology whose potential disease indications include, but are not limited to, lupus nephritis. Idera’s 3GA technology specifically silences disease-causing genes using small molecules called oligonucleotides, which offer an improvement over…
The Lupus Research Alliance welcomed the report, by Aurinia Pharmaceuticals, of positive top-line results in its Phase 2 clinical trial results of voclosporin, an investigational treatment for lupus nephritis (LN). The group, however, is awaiting further analysis of findings, especially those addressing potential safety concerns. Lupus nephritis (LN) is a…
In a recent published article, the president and chief executive officer of Lupus Foundation of America (LFA) Sandra C. Raymond discussed important aspects of lupus mortality. “Over the years, pioneering physicians, using therapies borrowed from other diseases, have painstakingly developed treatment regimens that have helped to reduce mortality associated with…
Many studies have established that patients with autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA), multiple sclerosis (MS), Sjögren’s syndrome, and systemic lupus erythomatosus (SLE) have an increased risk for developing another autoimmune disease, but why this happens is still not fully understood. In a recent news report that presented data from multiple studies addressing the…
Improper clearing of dying cells and elevated levels of RNA and DNA in serum are connected to increased chronic inflammation in autoimmune diseases. In a recent study, researchers at Duke University showed that scavenger molecules that feed on the nucleic acids not only reduce chronic inflammation in mice with lupus, but also…
Results from two Phase 3 trials revealed that patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) can benefit from the recombinant human monoclonal antibody Benlysta (belimumab) when it is used with steroids. The study, “Impact of concomitant medication use on belimumab efficacy and safety in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus,”…
Aurinia Pharmaceuticals recently announced positive top-line results from the voclosporin Phase 2b clinical trial AURA-LV (AURA) in patients with active lupus nephritis (LN) after achieving its primary endpoint. Voclosporin is an investigational immunosuppressant with a synergistic and dual mechanism of action that can potentially improve near- and long-term outcomes…
Researchers investigated health care use by people with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and found that patients were more apt to seek clinical care during the first few years after diagnosis, but became less inclined over time. SLE patients also tend to turn increasingly more to general physician care, over encounters with specialists such as rheumatologists. The research…
During the recent Analyst Day event in New York, Xencor highlighted its lead candidate to treat systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), now in Phase 2 clinical testing, and other potential treatments advancing in development. “We believe our flexible bispecific oncology platform has substantial potential. Our programs are built on a novel XmAb Fc…
XTL Biopharmaceuticals has filed a new U.S. patent application to protect doses of hCDR1 lower than 0.5 mg per week to treat systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). XTL is a clinical-stage biotech that develops products for the treatment of autoimmune diseases like lupus. The company’s lead drug candidate, hCDR1 has…