Riquent No Longer a Possibility
Thursday February 26, 2009
Earlier this month, La Jolla Pharmaceutical company halted the clinical trial of its possible lupus treatment drug Riquent. It was hoped the drug would stave off episodes of kidney inflammation caused by lupus.
An independent monitoring board called use of the drug “futile” after reviewing preliminary trial data. No new drug for lupus has been approved in 50 years.
There is just the smallest glimmer of hope, however, since La Jolla will have a chance to review the trial data and determine if its worth arguing against the monitoring board’s ruling.
Among lupus patients, La Jolla was considered “the little engine that could,” since Riquent is the only drug in the small company’s arsenal. Now that clinical trials have stopped, patients will have to look toward the next wave of possible treatment.
What's Your Type?
Sunday February 15, 2009
Today we'd like to take a moment to welcome all of those women and men who have been newly diagnosed, or know someone who has been newly diagnosed, with lupus.
Today we’re asking the question, what type of lupus do you have? And more importantly, did you know that there was more than one type?
Lupus takes on several forms and can affect any part of the body, but it most commonly attacks the skin, joints, the heart, lungs, blood, kidneys and brain. So what are the various types?
They are:
These are the most common forms, but there are other forms as well. See something missing? Let me know at lupus.guide@about.com.
Just the FAQs
Thursday February 12, 2009
If you’ve been newly diagnosed with lupus, or have lived with it for some time, you may have dozens of questions related to the disease. In an effort to collect as many of those questions as we can, provide some short answers, and then link to more in-depth information, we have launched this Frequently Asked Questions page. Here you will discover questions that have been asked, with a link to provided answers.
If you have questions that are not covered in this document, please e-mail me at lupus.guide@about.com. We hope to add to this page regularly, and welcome any and all questions you might have.
Research Studying Why Therapy Works for Some, Not Others
Tuesday February 10, 2009
Interesting news: new lupus research will focus on why some therapies work well for some people with lupus, but not others.
The focus of the research study, from the University of Rochester Medical Center in Rochester, N.Y., is on B-cells. B-cells are considered “key combat-ready immune cells.” B-cells are also often responsible for manufacturing auto-antibodies. The research should also open up the way the immune system works and mechanisms behind lupus.
Researchers are specifically looking at how bone marrow produces B-cells, and what quality control checkpoints it imposes to ensure that only healthy cells are released into the bloodstream.
This quality control system breaks down in lupus patients, and B-cells produce auto-antibodies and attack the patient's own body. This leads to the myriad symptoms and complications lupus patients suffer, including inflammation and damage to joints, skin, and, in some cases, the heart, kidneys and brain.
One treatment is known as "B-cell depletion therapy.” This therapy reduces the number of B-cells in the patient's bloodstream. It was successful for some – and of those, the success was quite noticeable. Now study specialists are trying to determine why this therapy works so remarkably for some, but not others.
Discovering why should help create and direct future therapies for lupus patients.
