Historic Day for Lupus Patients – Benlysta gets FDA approval

 

 

FDA approves Benlysta to treat lupus
First new lupus drug approved in 56 years

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved Benlysta (belimumab) to treat patients with active, autoantibody-positive lupus (systemic lupus erythematosus) who are receiving standard therapy, including corticosteroids, antimalarials, immunosuppressives, and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.

Benlysta is delivered directly into a vein (intravenous infusion) and is the first inhibitor designed to target B-lymphocyte stimulator (BLyS) protein, which may reduce the number of abnormal B cells thought to be a problem in lupus.

Prior to Benlysta, FDA last approved drugs to treat lupus, Plaquenil (hydroxychloroquine) and corticosteroids, in 1955. Aspirin was approved to treat lupus in 1948.

Lupus is a serious, potentially fatal, autoimmune disease that attacks healthy tissues. It disproportionately affects women, and usually develops between ages 15 and 44. The disease affects many parts of the body including the joints, the skin, kidneys, lungs, heart, and the brain. When common lupus symptoms appear (flare) they can present as swelling in the joints or joint pain, light sensitivity, fever, chest pain, hair loss, and fatigue.

Estimates vary on the number of lupus sufferers in the United States ranging from approximately 300,000 to 1.5 million people. People of all races can have the disease; however, African American women have a 3 times higher incidence (number of new cases) than Caucasian women.

“Benlysta, when used with existing therapies, may be an important new treatment approach for health care professionals and patients looking to help manage symptoms associated with this disease,” said Curtis Rosebraugh, M.D., M.P.H., director of the Office of Drug Evaluation II in the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research.

Two clinical studies involving 1,684 patients with lupus demonstrated the safety and effectiveness of Benlysta. The studies diagnosed patients with active lupus and randomized them to receive Benlysta plus standard therapy, or an inactive infused solution (placebo) plus standard therapy. The studies excluded patients who had received prior B-cell targeted therapy or intravenous cyclophosphamide, and those who had active lupus involving the kidneys or central nervous system.

Patients treated with Benlysta and standard therapies experienced less disease activity than those who received a placebo and standard of care medicines. Results suggested, but did not definitively establish, that some patients had a reduced likelihood of severe flares, and some reduced their steroid doses. 

African American patients and patients of African heritage participating in the two studies did not appear to respond to treatment with Benlysta. The studies lacked sufficient numbers to establish a definite conclusion. To address this concern, the sponsor has agreed to conduct an additional study of people with those backgrounds to further evaluate the safety and effectiveness of Benlysta for this subgroup of lupus patients.

Those receiving Benlysta during clinical studies reported more deaths and serious infections compared with placebo. The drug should not be administered with live vaccines. The manufacturer is required to provide a Medication Guide to inform patients of the risks associated with Benlysta.

The most common side effects in the studies included nausea, diarrhea, and fever (pyrexia). Patients also commonly experienced infusion reactions, so pre-treatment with an antihistamine should be considered.

*Information from FDA press release

For more information on Benlysta, click here to read all about it.

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  • heng654

    People are also like this decisions and i hope they are now get more better method for treatment in the disease. So the Lupus Patients are will be hope to get best service from here.

  • Ritha Fields

    To me it means had they not participated in the clinical trials, they would still be alive.
    A placebo is nothing but a sugar pill, it does nothing.

  • Jennifer Filipink

    I have been getting Benlysta Infusion I haven’t had any side effects yet.

  • I am very happy that Benlysta has passed because I have been suffering from systemic lupus erythematosus for a very long time. However, what concerns me most is the serious side effects and many deaths reported.

  • If it’s saying what I think it is….I’m scared! Another scary drug?

  • Rebecca

    What does the sentence in the next to last paragraph mean…..

    “Those receiving Benlysta during clinical studies reported more deaths and serious infections compared with placebo…”

    I don’t know if the sentence is just worded strange, or that I just don’t understand what they’re saying??

  • I do hope this will help a lot of us-but then I worry of the side affects and infections. I do think it is great that we may find some comfort after all. Plaquenil and steroids don’t always help the symptoms.