title: Targeting the interferon pathway with sifalimumab for the treatment of systemic lupus erythematosus.
abstract: Dysregulation of the type I interferon (IFN) system is associated with various immunologic diseases, such as systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Targeting this dysregulation presents an attractive approach for SLE therapy. Sifalimumab, a fully human immunoglobulin G1κ monoclonal antibody that binds to and neutralizes most IFN-α subtypes, has been recently evaluated in a Phase IIb study in patients with moderate to severe SLE. Insights gained from earlier studies were used to inform design of the Phase IIb study, to provide a more comprehensive evaluation of sifalimumab. Sifalimumab demonstrated broad efficacy across composite and organ-specific end points, suggesting that targeting of IFN-α is a promising treatment option for SLE, particularly for those patients whose disease is refractory to current standard of care.
authors.affiliation: MedImmune, Gaithersburg, MD, USA.
authors.forename: Warren
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Greth
authors.affiliation: MedImmune, Gaithersburg, MD, USA.
authors.forename: Gabriel J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Robbie
authors.affiliation: MedImmune, Gaithersburg, MD, USA.
authors.forename: Philip
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Brohawn
authors.affiliation: MedImmune, Gaithersburg, MD, USA.
authors.forename: Micki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hultquist
authors.affiliation: MedImmune, Gaithersburg, MD, USA.
authors.forename: Bing
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Yao
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D006801:Humans; D007167:Immunotherapy / Q000379:methods*; D007370:Interferon Type I / Q000378:metabolism; D008180:Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / Q000188:drug therapy*; D058990:Molecular Targeted Therapy; D012008:Recurrence; D015398:Signal Transduction
chemical_list: D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; D007370:Interferon Type I; C568334:sifalimumab
keywords: sifalimumab; systemic lupus erythematosus; type I interferon