Materne et al. aimed to compare the risk of infection among patients with non-renal SLE using the injectable immunosuppressant belimumab vs. an oral immunosuppressant, azathioprine, mycophenolate or methotrexate.

Materne et al. aimed to compare the risk of infection among patients with non-renal SLE using the injectable immunosuppressant belimumab vs. an oral immunosuppressant, azathioprine, mycophenolate or methotrexate.
Misinformation, fear and not having a trusted partner in the medical sector are just a few of the barriers that prevent patients of color from being adequately represented in research and clinical trials for lupus. Experts and patient advocates addressed how to remove these barriers and more during the 2023 ACR Diversification of Clinical Trials Summit.
Jacqueline Jansz, MD, with Nadera Sweiss, MD |
During a series of interviews with patients who have systemic lupus erythematosus, issues related to medication side effects, supplement use, depression and support groups arose, as well as concerns about race and activities of daily living. The interviews gave me a better understanding of what patients with lupus wish their physicians knew. I am grateful…
Updated research on the complexities of central nervous system (CNS) lupus, as well as its diagnosis and treatment are discussed.
In a clinical trial, patients with active systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) did not experience a reduction in disease activity with the addition of rezpegaldesleukin to their standard treatments. However, some patient populations did see improvements in their disease activity compared with the placebo-treated group.
Antonia Chan & Julia F. Simard, ScD |
Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) is nearly universally recommended for pregnant patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) to reduce lupus disease activity and adverse outcomes in pregnancy.1-3 Yet despite strong evidence supporting its benefits, HCQ appears underutilized, with several studies suggesting fewer than half of all women with lupus take this medication during pregnancy.4 How accurately these results…
Racial Disparities in Lupus Clinical Trial Participation By Saira Z. Sheikh, MD Why was this study done? Lupus disproportionately affects Black and Latino populations, particularly women in childbearing years. Clinical trials of patients with lupus can advance the development of therapeutics and access to better treatments, as well as improve health outcomes for patients. However,…
In a study, El Bannoudi et al. found that platelets contribute to the pathogenesis of SLE by secreting the proinflammatory platelet-associated lectin, galactoside-binding, soluble 3 binding protein (LGALS3BP), which also represents a novel biomarker of SLE clinical activity.
A study found that litifilimab, a humanized monoclonal antibody that binds blood dendritic cell antigen 2, may be effective for the treatment of patients with active cutaneous lupus erythematosus. The treatment successfully reduced skin disease activity in patients at 16 weeks compared with placebo.
PHILADELPHIA—Expert panelists gathered in the closing session at ACR Convergence 2022 to give their take on what they saw as some of the most notable research findings and other insights to come out of the meeting, touching on a number of topics on the leading edge of the field. COVID-19 Prophylaxis & Vaccinations Alfred Kim,…