Lupus Science and Medicine Podcast

Can you conduct clinical trials on lupus patients in a home setting?

Duane Peters from the Lupus Foundation of America interviews Dr Stephen Balevic, Dr Rachel Randell and Professor Laura Schanberg from Duke University in the USA. They discuss the advantages and challenges of designing and implementing self-controlled clinical trials for paediatric lupus patients in a home setting, based on their experience of conducting the Individual Patient Exposure and Response in Pediatric Lupus (iPERSONAL) trial. Could this be a way to effectively deliver clinical trials in a post-pandemic world?
Access the paper here: https://lupus.bmj.com/content/8/1/e000494

EULAR 2021 eCongress Highlights

Duane Peters of the Lupus Foundation of America follows up with Professor Ronald van Vollenhoven of the Amsterdam University Medical Centers to discuss the highlights of the lupus research presented at the EULAR 2021 eCongress, which was held virtually on 2-5 June 2021.
EULAR Congress website: https://congress.eular.org/index.cfm
EULAR 2021 abstracts: https://ard.bmj.com/content/80/Suppl_1

Safety profile of anifrolumab in SLE patients

Duane Peters from the Lupus Foundation of America interviews Professor Eric Morand from Monash University in Australia and Dr Raj Tummala from AstraZeneca in the USA about phase II and III trials of the human monoclonal antibody anifrolumab.
Their pooled analysis of data from the MUSE, TULIP-1 and TULIP-2 trials showed that, in addition to demonstrating efficacy in adults with moderate to severe systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), anifrolumab was generally well tolerated with an acceptable safety profile. Anifrolumab was associated with an increased incidence of herpes zoster and respiratory tract infections and a lower reported rate of SLE worsening. This positive benefit–risk profile means that anifrolumab is a potential new treatment option for SLE.
Access the paper here: https://lupus.bmj.com/content/8/1/e000464

The ALPHA Project

Duane Peters from the Lupus Foundation of America interviews Dr Susan Manzi from the Allegheny Health Network and Kathleen Arntsen from the Lupus and Allied Diseases Association, both based in the USA, about the Addressing Lupus Pillars for Health Advancement (ALPHA) Project.
The ALPHA Project is the first global initiative to identify, prioritise and address top barriers in lupus impacting diagnosis, care, treatment and research. The diverse team includes lupus experts, clinicians, researchers, industry representatives, advocacy organisations and people with lupus, and there is a specific focus on the patient perspective.
Access the paper here: https://lupus.bmj.com/content/8/1/e000433

Lupus Academy 10th Annual Meeting Highlights

Duane Peters of the Lupus Foundation of America follows up with Professor Ronald van Vollenhoven of the Amsterdam University Medical Centers to discuss the highlights of the 10th Annual Meeting of the Lupus Academy, which was held virtually on 16-18th April 2021.
Lupus Science & Medicine is the official journal of the Lupus Academy and the abstracts from the event have been published as a supplement to the journal.
Lupus Academy website: lupus-academy.org/
Lupus Academy 2021 abstracts: lupus.bmj.com/content/8/Suppl_1

Lupus Academy Tenth Annual Meeting Preview

Duane Peters of the Lupus Foundation of America interviews Professor Ronald van Vollenhoven of the Amsterdam University Medical Centers about the 10th Annual Meeting of the Lupus Academy, which will be held virtually from 16-18th April 2021. As well as his role as co-Editor-in-Chief of Lupus Science & Medicine, Professor van Vollenhoven is a member of the Lupus Academy Steering Committee and has been involved in the planning and development of the 10th Annual Meeting. Participation in the event is free but registration is required.
Lupus Science & Medicine is the official journal of the Lupus Academy and the abstracts from the event have been published as a supplement to the journal.
Lupus Academy website: https://lupus-academy.org/
Lupus Academy 2021 abstracts: https://lupus.bmj.com/content/8/Suppl_1

Apolipoprotein L1 risk genotypes in Ghanaian patients

Duane Peters from the Lupus Foundation of America interviews Dr Ashira Blazer from New York University, USA, and Dr Ida Dzifa Dey from the University of Ghana in Accra, Ghana, about the associations between apolipoprotein L1 genetic polymorphisms and disease outcomes among SLE patients in Ghana.
Access the paper here: https://lupus.bmj.com/content/8/1/e000460

Anti-Müllerian hormone in African- American women with SLE

Duane Peters from the Lupus Foundation of America interviews Ms Meghan Angley and Dr Sam Lim from Emory University in Georgia, and Dr Megan Clowse from Duke University in North Carolina, about infertility and reproductive injustice in African-American women with systemic lupus erythematosus.
Access the papers here:
https://lupus.bmj.com/content/7/1/e000439
https://lupus.bmj.com/content/7/1/e000455

Efficacy and safety of rituximab biosimilar in refractory lupus

Duane Peters from the Lupus Foundation of America interviews Dr Pintip Ngamjanyaporn and Dr Nantakarn Pongtarakulpanit from Mahidol University in Bangkok, Thailand, about their study on the short term efficacy and safety of rituximab biosimilar in refractory lupus.
Access the paper here: https://lupus.bmj.com/content/7/1/e000442

Metabolic syndrome in SLE patients

Duane Peters from the Lupus Foundation of America interviews Dr Diane Apostolopoulos and Dr Eric Morand from Monash Health in Australia about their study into the prevalence of metabolic syndrome in patients with SLE and the potential associations between the use of glucocorticoids and specific cardiovascular risk factors.
Access the paper here: https://lupus.bmj.com/content/7/1/e000436