GSK’s Benlysta® (belimumab) is First Lupus Nephritis Treatment Approved by FDA The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in late December 2020 approved Benlysta® to treat lupus nephritis (lupus-related kidney disease) in adults. The decision makes Benlysta the first lupus therapy authorized to treat this potentially life-threatening complication of the disease. Another milestone, this new…
Phase 3 Trial Finds Benlysta Significantly Improves Kidney Response in People with Lupus Nephritis UPDATE 16/09/2020 In new results on the international phase 3 clinical trial (BLISS-LN) of the drug Benlysta (belimumab), researchers found that Benlysta reduced the risk of worsening kidney function during the study by almost 50%, compared with standard therapy alone. The…
Hi there! I’m making a difference and running 12km in October for a cause that’s close to my heart. My girlfriend has recently started treatment for Lupus and has battled with several of its symptoms for the past 7 years. With this, we no longer need to keep searching for answers and can start treating…
Access to Hydroxychloroquine for People with Lupus The Lupus Association of NSW is aware of the potential use of hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine for the treatment of coronavirus (COVID-19). This means that some people with Lupus who use hydroxychloroquine to manage their condition are having difficulty accessing this medication. Hydroxychloroquine, a medication taken by approximately 90% of…
Coronavirus, stress, and mental health How do I cope with the stress and emotional strain of both the coronavirus itself and being isolated from my loved ones? The outbreak of the coronavirus can bring about any number of negative feelings — whether it’s about the health and safety of both you and your loved…
New restrictions on prescribing hydroxychloroquine for COVID-19 The following is an extract from the TGA website of this alert: 24 March 2020 In recent days there has been considerable focus on the potential for hydroxychloroquine and the similar compound chloroquine (which is not marketed in Australia) to help in treating COVID-19. Hydroxychloroquine is used…
COVID-19 & Access to Hydroxychloroquine At present the trials are ongoing and there isn’t sufficient evidence to conclude whether it will be effective. Science Magazine stated that the available evidence that chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine work against COVID-19 was ‘thin’. The U.S. Society of Critical Care Medicine said “there is insufficient evidence to issue a recommendation…
International Lupus Community Reaches First-Ever Agreement on Barriers to Research, Drug Development, Care and Access Findings from a study published in Lupus Science & Medicine™ provide an actionable framework to advance the lupus field, which has seen many failed clinical trials, variations in care and poor access to care worldwide. The study, “Global Consensus Building…