Harnessing the utility of autoantibodies to overcome challenges associated with clinical development in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE)
Overcoming issues of heterogeneity in disease classification and enabling new approaches to successful drug development.
SLE is an autoimmune disease with a wide range of clinical manifestations. It affects approximately 5 million people worldwide and its prevalence varies in different geographies. SLE accounts for around 70% of all cases of lupus, other forms being cutaneous lupus, drug-induced lupus and neonatal lupus. In around 50% of people living with SLE, a major organ or tissue, such as heart, lungs, kidneys or brain, will be affected.
Recent clinical developments in SLE, and the associated lupus nephritis, have focused on inhibiting the activation of auto-reactive B-cells or pathways leading to autoimmunity and inflammation. Currently, Benlysta (Belumimab, GSK) is the only targeted therapy to have received regulatory approval, although Rituxan. (Roche) is also used as an off-label treatment.
The ImmunoINSIGHTS SeroTag biomarker discovery engine can aid in understanding the molecular basis of complex autoimmune diseases. Using this diagnostic ‘magnifying glass’ Oncimmune has developed NavigAID SLE, a well-defined antigen panel that delineates disease subtypes and increases the probability of successful SLE therapy.