A Lupus Patient's Perspective of Benlysta
A new drug for systemic lupus is potentially on the horizon. This is groundbreaking news.
The drug is called Benlysta and has been codeveloped and tested by Human Genome Sciences (HGS) and GlaxoSmithKline (GSK). If approved by the FDA, it would be the only drug ever specifically designed for lupus. I realize this does not sound plausible, and here’s the explanation. Curiously, the drugs that we currently use for the treatment of lupus were initially designed to treat other diseases, and the discovery that these drugs could be used to treat lupus was accidentally stumbled upon. Current methods of treatment of systemic lupus include cytotoxic drugs such as Cytoxan (a chemotherapy used for breast cancer) and immune suppressants (prednisone). Should Benlysta earn the ever-important approval from the FDA, Benlysta would also be the first new drug in 50 years to be approved for use in lupus. A successful 52 week trial has given lupus patients hope. Pending another round of successful testing in a 76-week trial (the 52-week trial results will be presented in November, 2009), a new treatment option may be available.
This is terribly exciting.
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