Lupus Nephritis FocusRheum

Renal biopsy is a valuable tool for the accurate diagnosis and management of patients with kidney involvement due to rheumatic disease. Agnes B. Fogo, MD, shared her expertise on renal pathology and insights into what rheumatologists should know, during a session at the 2022 ACR Education Exchange.

PRSYM—At the 2021 Pediatric Rheumatology Symposium (PRSYM), a session on lupus provided a robust discussion of recent advances in lupus treatments and genetic discoveries in pediatric rheumatology. Lupus Nephritis The first speaker was Shaun Jackson, MD, PhD, a pediatric nephrologist and rheumatologist and associate professor at Seattle Children’s. His presentation focused on state-of-the-art treatments in…

Research has shown voclosporin in combination with MMF and low-dose steroids benefits patients with lupus nephritis, significantly increasing the speed of remission. New data from an ongoing extension study demonstrate a positive risk/benefit profile.

NEW YORK (Reuters Health)—Voclosporin (Lupkynis) in combination with mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) and low-dose corticosteroids improves renal response rates compared with use of these agents alone in patients with in lupus nephritis, according to a company-funded study. “Lupus nephritis can be a devastating condition if not diagnosed and managed early. These data establish voclosporin as an…

In December, the FDA approved belimumab, the first drug approved to treat lupus nephritis, an historic action that was rapidly followed in January by the approval of a second treatment for lupus nephritis, voclosporin.

Renal arteriosclerosis is common in lupus patients with nephritis and occurs two decades earlier than it does in people without lupus nephritis (LN), report investigators in a study that examined the prevalence of renal arteriosclerosis in LN patients compared with healthy controls.1  The finding suggests that renal arteriosclerosis could be used as a biomarker for…

Three doctors reported on advances in research & treatments for lupus nephritis.

Experts say progress is being made on a variety of fronts in lupus nephritis. New data, for instance, shows that repeat biopsy beyond that used for diagnosis can help guide treatment and greatly reduce the flare rate. New treatments – including belimumab and the calcineurin inhibitors tacrolimus and voclosporin — have yielded improved response rates in LN…

The ACR submitted comments to the Institute for Clinical & Economic Review outlining key considerations that should inform independent assessment of the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of medical therapies for lupus nephritis.

(Reuters Health)—Intravenous belimumab combined with standard lupus therapy can help preserve kidney function in patients with active lupus nephritis and cut the odds of death or a renal-related event by half, a phase 3 multinational study has concluded.1 After two years of therapy, 43% of 224 volunteers getting the drug monthly showed a renal response…