medwireNews : The US FDA has announced that the indication for belimumab will be expanded to include active lupus nephritis in children and adolescents aged 5–17 years.

Leflunomide, a DMARD used in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, is noninferior to azathioprine for the prevention of kidney flares in people with lupus nephritis, Chinese researchers report.

The EMA recommends that voclosporin should be used in combination with mycophenolate mofetil for treating active class III, IV, or V lupus nephritis in adults.

Individuals who discontinue maintenance immunosuppressive therapy for proliferative lupus nephritis after 2–3 years have a higher rate of relapse and severe flares than those who continue with treatment, suggest data from the WIN-Lupus trial.

Phase 3 trial results suggest that the calcineurin inhibitor tacrolimus may represent an alternative option to cyclophosphamide for the initial treatment of lupus nephritis.

Findings from the phase 2 TULIP-LN trial suggest that add-on treatment with an intensified regimen of anifrolumab, a type I interferon receptor inhibitor, may improve some outcomes for patients with lupus nephritis.

Expression of the proinflammatory cytokine interleukin-16 strongly correlates with histologic activity in people undergoing treatment for lupus nephritis, shows a longitudinal study of urinary proteomic profiles.

Findings from the phase 2 NOBILITY trial suggest that the addition of the type II anti-CD20 antibody obinutuzumab to standard therapy may improve renal outcomes for patients with proliferative lupus nephritis.

Lupus nephritis mortality rates have increased in recent years and are significantly higher among Black people than among those of other races or ethnicities, US study data show.

Voclosporin has a sustained proteinuria-reducing effect in patients with lupus nephritis, suggests an interim analysis of the AURORA 2 study.

A substantial proportion of patients with lupus nephritis from a US study continued to accrue renal damage despite being classified as having a complete response to standard therapy based on proteinuric criteria.

Adding the calcineurin inhibitor voclosporin to background immunosuppressive therapy improves renal response rates among people with lupus nephritis, show phase 3 trial results published in The Lancet .

In “The Great Debate” held at the ACR Convergence 2021 virtual meeting, experts discussed which new add-on treatment option should be used first for patients with active lupus nephritis despite conventional therapy.

medwireNews : The EMA’s Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use has adopted a positive opinion on expanding the indication of belimumab to include lupus nephritis in Europe.

Low levels of serum complement 3 protein and a history of lupus nephritis are associated with an increased risk for preterm birth in pregnant women with systemic lupus erythematosus, Japanese researchers report.

medwireNews : The US FDA has approved belimumab as the first drug treatment for adult patients with active lupus nephritis.

medwireNews : The US FDA has approved voclosporin, a calcineurin inhibitor, as the first oral treatment option for active lupus nephritis.

Patients with new-onset lupus nephritis may be more likely to achieve a complete renal response if initially given a higher dose of prednisone than currently recommended, findings indicate.

Adding belimumab to standard therapy improves renal outcomes among patients with lupus nephritis, indicate findings from the BLISS-LN trial presented at the EULAR 2020 E-Congress.

EULAR and the Renal Association–European Dialysis and Transplant Association have issued updated recommendations for the management of lupus nephritis.