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Treatment of systemic lupus erythematosus with epratuzumab
Author(s) -
Traczewski Pawel,
Rudnicka Lidia
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
british journal of clinical pharmacology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.216
H-Index - 146
eISSN - 1365-2125
pISSN - 0306-5251
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2125.2010.03767.x
Subject(s) - rituximab , monoclonal antibody , immunology , medicine , cd20 , cd22 , monoclonal , antibody , lymphoma , systemic lupus erythematosus , b cell , antigen , belimumab , autoimmune disease , lupus erythematosus , disease , b cell activating factor
Systemic lupus erythematosus is a prototypic autoimmune disease characterized by abnormalities in the activity of B‐cells and T‐cells. A novel specific treatment for autoimmune diseases is B‐cell depletion with monoclonal antibodies. Epratuzumab is a monoclonal antibody that targets CD22 antigen on B‐cells. Initial phase II and two terminated early phase III studies suggest that treatment of systemic lupus erythematosus with this immunomodulatory agent is effective, well tolerated and significantly improves the patient's quality of life. In vitro studies and clinical trials with non‐Hodgkin lymphoma patients indicate epratuzumab can potentially serve as a complementary drug in combination therapy with another inhibitor of B‐cell activity, rituximab, which is a monoclonal anti‐CD20 antibody.