Barriers to overcome in lupus drug development

It has taken the lupus research community over 50 years to produce a new therapy. Although it is now a year old, Benlysta (belimumab), now marketed by GlaxoSmithKline and Human Genome Sciences, is the first human monoclonal antibody for the treatment of lupus. There are four main types of lupus: neonatal, discoid (DLE), drug-induced (DIL) and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). When lupus is discussed, most often times it is in reference to SLE as it affects the majority of patients, notes an expert insight from GlobalData.

Lupus is a chronic autoimmune disease that presents in masquerading ways, thus making for difficult and precise diagnosis. Patients display abnormal immunological function and production of autoantibodies which lead to complex immune system malfunctions. Etiology is unknown, but research has led to an association between age, sex, logistics and race. SLE is more common is women of childbearing age as there may be a link between estrogen as a promoter to T and B-cell stimulation as well as macrophages and cytokines. Epidemiologic data from lupus registries is needed to make a direct correlation between geographies, however research has shown prevalence in the USA among Asian, African-American, Afro-Caribbean and Hispanic-Americans to be higher than that of Americans with Eastern European descent.

Aspirin was first drug approved for lupus, in 1948