Promising trials results announced

At the recent American Congress of Rheumatology in San Fransisco this week, we received fantastic news on two promising trial results.

1. AstraZeneca Phase IIb Anifrolumab 300 mg showed positive results, where it produced a response in 34.4 percent of patients after 169 days of treatment and this rose to more than 50 percent after a year….

[Anifrolumab] produced a response in 34.4 percent of patients after 169 days of treatment and this rose to more than 50 percent after a year. …On the downside, there was an increase in patients reporting both Herpes zoster, or shingles, and influenza. However, [Bing Yao, head of respiratory, inflammatory and autoimmune research at AstraZeneca’s biotech unit MedImmune] …said these conditions were readily treated with antivirals. Link to Reuters press release.

2. For the third time, Belimumab (marketed as Benlysta) has shown positive third phase trial results; this time from trials where Belimumab was administered subcutaneosly in addition to standard treatment.

We hope that this very positive news signals a true turning point in the development of new lupus treatments.