Science
Duane Peters from the Lupus Foundation of America interviews Professor Eric Morand from Monash University in Australia and Dr Raj Tummala from AstraZeneca in the USA about phase II and III trials of the human monoclonal antibody anifrolumab. Their pooled analysis of data from the MUSE, TULIP-1 and TULIP-2 trials showed that, in addition to demonstrating efficacy in adults with moderate to severe systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), anifrolumab was generally well tolerated with an acceptable safety profile. Anifrolumab was associated with an increased incidence of herpes zoster and respiratory tract infections and a lower reported rate of SLE worsening. This positive benefit–risk profile means that anifrolumab is a potential new treatment option for SLE. Access the paper here: https://lupus.bmj.com/content/8/1/e000464