Lupus Erythematosus News and Research

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First direct evidence that X-linked TLR7 gene promotes lupus in humans

Lupus Research Institute-funded researcher Betty Tsao, PhD, at the University of California Los Angeles has discovered that humans-males in particular-with a variant form of the immune receptor gene "Toll Like Receptor 7 (TLR7)" are at increased risk of developing the autoimmune disease systemic lupus erythematosus (lupus). This breakthrough finding offers renewed hope for developing more targeted treatments.

3 Sep 2010

Immunomedics 2010 fourth quarter revenue decreases to $0.7 million

Immunomedics, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company primarily focused on the development of monoclonal, antibody-based products for the targeted treatment of cancer, autoimmune and other serious diseases, today reported financial results for the fourth quarter and fiscal year ended June 30, 2010.

27 Aug 2010

Research finds variation in sex chromosome may cause lupus in men

Genes reside along long chains of DNA called chromosomes. UCLA researchers have found that a variation in a gene on the sex chromosome X may enhance an immune response that leads to lupus in men.

24 Aug 2010

Study finds black women with SLE develop cardiovascular disease at early age

A recent study by researchers at Penn State College of Medicine found significant racial disparities in the age of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients at the time of hospital admission for cardiovascular disease (CVD) events and CVD-related death. Black women were youngest to both be admitted with CVD and to have an in-hospital death due to CVD.

20 Aug 2010

FDA grants priority review designation of BENLYSTA for systemic lupus erythematosus treatment

Human Genome Sciences, Inc. and GlaxoSmithKline PLC today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has granted a priority review designation to BENLYSTA (belimumab) as a potential treatment for systemic lupus erythematosus.

20 Aug 2010

Emergent BioSolutions enters agreement to acquire Trubion Pharmaceuticals

Emergent BioSolutions Inc. announced today it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Trubion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. for upfront consideration of $96.8 million of value and up to $38.7 million of success-based milestones, resulting in a total consideration of up to $135.5 million. The acquisition will diversify Emergent's product development pipeline with the addition of Trubion's two clinical-stage product candidates focused on the targeted disease areas of oncology and autoimmunity.

13 Aug 2010

ROCK2 protein may be a good therapeutic target for autoimmune disorders: Research

Autoimmune disorders, including rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), occur when an individual's immune system turns on other cells in the body. Inappropriate and excessive production of the soluble immune mediators IL-17 and IL-21 have been linked to several autoimmune disorders. Understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying this aberrant production might identify new therapeutic targets.

10 Aug 2010

Systemic lupus erythematosus drug market to quadruple from $400 million in 2009 to over $1.6 billion in 2019

Decision Resources, one of the world's leading research and advisory firms for pharmaceutical and healthcare issues, finds that, driven primarily by the launch and uptake of Human Genome Sciences/GlaxoSmithKline's Benlysta, the systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) drug market will quadruple from about $400 million in 2009 to more than $1.6 billion in 2019 in the United States, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom and Japan.

10 Aug 2010

Anthera second-quarter total operating expenses increase to $7.9 million

Anthera Pharmaceuticals, Inc., today announced financial results and business highlights for the second quarter ended June 30, 2010.

5 Aug 2010

Anthera initiates PEARL-SC Phase 2b study of A-623 for lupus

Anthera Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company developing drugs to treat serious diseases associated with inflammation, today announced it has initiated PEARL-SC, the Phase 2b study of A-623, a novel inhibitor of B-Cell Activating Factor, or BAFF, for the treatment of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (lupus). Lupus patients suffer from a chronic autoimmune disease, which often leads to severe skin rash, fatigue, joint pain, major organ complications, and cardiovascular disease.

30 Jul 2010

Celgene second-quarter non-GAAP total revenue increases 36% to $850 million

Celgene Corporation announced non-GAAP net income of $323.3 million, or non-GAAP diluted earnings per share of $0.69 for the quarter ended June 30, 2010. Non-GAAP net income for the second quarter of 2009 was $216.0 million or non-GAAP diluted earnings per share of $0.46.

29 Jul 2010

Susceptibility to Behcet's disease associated with genes involved in body's immune response

Researchers with the National Institutes of Health have found susceptibility to Behcet's disease, a painful, inflammatory condition, to be associated with genes involved in the body's immune response.

14 Jul 2010

TLR7, TLR9 proteins could be culprit behind lupus patients' resistance to steroid treatments: Scientists

Two immune system proteins could be the culprit behind many lupus patients' resistance to widely used steroid treatments, scientists with the Baylor Research Institute in Dallas announced today. It is estimated that more than 5 million people suffer from lupus worldwide.

13 Jul 2010

Human Genome Sciences, Lonza announce commercial supply agreement for BENLYSTA

Human Genome Sciences, Inc. and Lonza today announced an agreement for the future commercial supply of BENLYSTA® (belimumab), which is currently under regulatory review in the United States and Europe as a potential new treatment for systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). BENLYSTA is being developed by HGS and GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) under a co-development and commercialization agreement entered into in 2006.

13 Jul 2010

Compugen's CGEN-15001 recombinant fusion protein abolishes spontaneous relapses in animal model of MS

Compugen Ltd. announced today that administration of CGEN-15001 in an animal model of multiple sclerosis (MS) has been shown to completely abolish spontaneous relapses. In addition, administration of this novel molecule prior to disease onset demonstrated a pronounced delay of disease onset and a significant decrease in disease symptoms.

2 Jul 2010

PIKAMAB secures exclusive rights to issued U.S. patent from UABRF

PIKAMAB, a biopharmaceutical company specializing in stratified medicine, announced today that it has secured exclusive rights to an issued U.S. patent (US 6,986,987) from the UAB Research Foundation. This patent pertains to the discovery that the functional polymorphism (Ser/Gly248) in the cytoplasmic domain of Fc alpha receptor determines the proinflammatory potential of serum IgA autoantibodies through cell signaling and production of cytokines such as TNF-alpha, IL-6, and IL-1β in an allele-dependent manner.

1 Jul 2010

Additional results from BLISS-76 Phase 3 trial of BENLYSTA presented at International Congress on SLE

Human Genome Sciences, Inc. today announced the presentation of additional results from BLISS-76, one of two pivotal Phase 3 trials of BENLYSTA (belimumab) in seropositive patients with systemic lupus erythematosus. The additional data will be presented in Vancouver at the 9th International Congress on Systemic Lupus Erythematosus on Friday and Saturday, June 25-26.

28 Jun 2010

Researchers uncover association between free radical-mediated reactions and progression of SLE

University of Texas Medical Branch researchers have uncovered an association between free radical-mediated reactions and the severity and progression of system lupus erythematosus. Higher levels of oxidative and nitrosative stress markers were found in SLE patients with greater disease activity suggesting a causal relationship. Full findings of the study are available in the July issue of Arthritis & Rheumatism, a journal published by Wiley-Blackwell on behalf of the American College of Rheumatology.

25 Jun 2010

Phase IIb EMBLEM study results of epratuzumab in patients with SLE presented at EULAR 2010

Immunomedics Inc. today announced that clinical trial results from the Phase IIb EMBLEM study of epratuzumab, a monoclonal antibody targeting CD22, in patients with moderate-severe systemic lupus erythematosus were presented at the 2010 annual Congress of the European League Against Rheumatism in Rome, Italy.

21 Jun 2010

SLE and RA negatively affect patients' emotional relationships, sex lives: Study

Systemic Lupus Erythematosus patients from Brazil and Rheumatoid Arthritis patients from France report that their rheumatic conditions negatively affect their emotional relationships and sex lives, according to research presented today at EULAR 2010, the Annual Congress of the European League Against Rheumatism in Rome, Italy.

18 Jun 2010