New Developments in the Treatment of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

The document from 2011 reviews various treatments for systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), highlighting the efficacy of mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) over cyclophosphamide (CyC) with fewer side effects, as shown in the Aspreva Lupus Management Study (ALMS) with 370 patients. Rituximab did not show efficacy in the EXPLORER trial with 237 patients and the LUNAR trial with 144 patients. Ocrelizumab's trial was stopped early due to serious infections. Belimumab emerged as a promising treatment, with significant responses in large randomized studies. Other treatments like epratuzumab, atacicept, and rigerimod showed positive early results, while abetimus and abatacept did not meet primary endpoints in their respective studies. Infliximab and tocilizumab showed some efficacy but raised concerns due to potential severe side effects. The document concludes that despite rapid development in drug therapy for lupus, more studies are needed, especially for pediatric use, as none of the newer drugs were recommended for children at the time of writing.