Medical Experts Say First New Lupus Drug Since 1950s Could Spur More Research on Disease
Medical Experts Say First New Lupus Drug Since 1950s Could Spur More Research on Disease
From Canadian Press DataFile (March 9, 2011)
WASHINGTON -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved the first new drug to treat lupus since 1955, a milestone that medical experts say could prompt development of other drugs that are even more effective in treating the debilitating illness.
Known as Benlysta, the injectable drug is designed to treat flare-ups and pain caused by lupus, a little-understood disorder in which the body attacks its own tissue and organs.
Biotech drug maker Human Genome Sciences spent 15 years developing Benlysta and will co-market it with GlaxoSmithKline.
But experts stress that Benlysta is not a miracle drug: it
worked only in a subset of patients and was not effective against
the deadliest forms of the disease. Additionally, it did not work
in African-Americans, who are disproportionately affected by
lupus.
Posted: March 2011
