Lupus is a chronic autoimmune disease that can cause severe and irreversible damage to vital organs, including the lungs, kidneys, heart, and liver. The disease triggers widespread inflammation, leading to long-term complications that can significantly impact a patient’s quality of life.
However, a newer lupus drug, anifrolumab (brand name Saphnelo), has shown promising results in reducing organ damage, according to a recent study published in Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases.
The research suggests that anifrolumab can slow down disease progression and lower the risk of long-term organ damage by about 60% in patients with moderate to severe lupus.
How Lupus Is Currently Treated
People with lupus are typically treated with a mix of medications aimed at controlling inflammation. These include:
- Steroids (to reduce inflammation and suppress the immune system)
- Antimalarial drugs (such as hydroxychloroquine, which help control lupus symptoms)
- Immunosuppressants (to prevent the immune system from attacking the body’s own tissues)
- Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) (to manage pain and inflammation)
While these treatments can help manage lupus symptoms, they do not stop organ damage from progressing. In some cases, long-term use of steroids and immunosuppressants can even contribute to additional complications.
This is why researchers sought to determine whether adding anifrolumab to standard lupus treatments could provide better protection against organ damage.
How Anifrolumab Works
Anifrolumab is a monoclonal antibody that works by blocking type 1 interferon receptors, which are involved in the inflammatory response seen in lupus. By interfering with this pathway, the drug reduces excessive inflammation and helps protect the body’s organs from long-term damage.
The drug is administered once a month through an IV infusion and was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2021 for treating systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), the most common form of lupus.
Study Findings: Anifrolumab Reduces Organ Damage Risk
In this study, researchers compared 354 lupus patients receiving anifrolumab with 561 patients receiving standard care. All participants had been part of the original clinical trials that led to the drug’s FDA approval.
The results showed that:
- Patients taking anifrolumab scored 0.43 points lower on an index measuring organ damage caused by lupus.
- A 1-point increase on this index has previously been linked to a 34% higher risk of premature death, meaning that even small reductions in organ damage can significantly improve survival.
- Anifrolumab reduced the risk of organ damage progression by 61% compared to standard treatments alone.
What This Means for Lupus Patients
These findings suggest that adding anifrolumab to standard lupus treatments could significantly improve long-term outcomes by slowing down organ damage. Since lupus is a lifelong disease with no known cure, treatments that can prevent irreversible harm are crucial for improving both survival and quality of life.
While further research is needed to confirm these results in broader patient populations, anifrolumab represents a major breakthrough in lupus treatment. For patients struggling with the long-term effects of lupus, this drug offers hope for better disease control and fewer complications in the future.
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The research findings can be found in the Annals of Rheumatic Diseases.
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