Belimumab for the treatment of corticosteroid-dependent systemic lupus erythematosus: from clinical trials to real-life experience after 1 year of use in 48 Brazilian patients. Issue 7 (July 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Scheinberg, Morton; Melo, Flavio; Bueno, Adrian; Costa, Carolyne; Azevedo Bahr, Maria; Reis, Enio
• Is Part Of: Clinical rheumatology. Volume 35:Issue 7(2016)
• Page Start: 1719
• Page End: 1723
• Publication Date: 2016-07
• Subjects: Rheumatic diseases -- SLE; Rheumatology -- Periodicals; 616.723
• DOI: 10.1007/s10067-016-3268-z
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0770-3198

Abstract

Abstract The objective of the study was to evaluate prospectively real-life experience on the effect of belimumab on patients with active systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Forty-eight patients with active SLE were evaluated after 1 year of continuous treatment. Thirty-eight patients were still on treatment at the end of 1 year, and it was possible to observe significant clinical improvement in the Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Disease Activity Index (SLEDAI) score with a decrease from 12 ± 3.0 to 2.5 ± 2.5, also a decrease on the daily steroid dose from 30 ± 12.5 to 7.5 ± 5.0 mg and partial improvement on serology. Belimumab treatment is associated with real benefit in the majority of patients that maintain active disease in spite of continuing on standard of care.