title: Biologic therapies in systemic lupus erythematosus.
abstract: Significant progress has been made in the development of therapies for systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). These include agents which target interferons, cytokines, T lymphocytes and co-stimulatory molecules, B-lymphocytes and B stimulatory molecules. The latter are of special interest having the most robust efficacy data to date, ranging from clinical experience to clinical trials, with belimumab as the first Food and Drug Administration-approved biologic for the treatment of SLE. Given the wide disease heterogeneity, certain issues like clinical trial design and pharmacogenomics will continue to challenge drug development in SLE, there will always be a growing and compelling need for more of these drugs in order to alleviate the burden of illness in lupus patients.
authors.affiliation: University of Santo Tomas, Manila, Philippines.
authors.forename: Christine B
authors.initials: CB
authors.lastname: Bernal
authors.forename: Leonid D
authors.initials: LD
authors.lastname: Zamora
authors.forename: Sandra V
authors.initials: SV
authors.lastname: Navarra
mesh_terms: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001688:Biological Products / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001691:Biological Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D017326:Clinical Trials, Phase III as Topic; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007113:Immunity, Innate / Q000502:physiology*; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008180:Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D011379:Prognosis; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D015996:Survival Rate; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D001688:Biological Products; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents
keywords: biologics; immunotherapy; lupus; monoclonal antibodies; systemic lupus erythematosus; targeted therapies