The Journal of Musculoskeletal Medicine. Vol. 29 No.

Jan/Feb

Top 10 Lupus Achievements in 2011

January 13, 2012
A year of historic lupus firsts generated during 2011 contributed to advances in the science and
medicine of lupus, improved lupus awareness, and heightened understanding of the disease and its
impact, according to the Lupus Foundation of America (LFA). These firsts are the following:
1. . First lupus treatment approved in more than 50 years The FDA approved Benlysta, the first drug
developed specifically to treat patients with lupus and the first entry in what is expected to become an
arsenal of new, safe, effective, and tolerable treatments for this condition.
2. . Lupus flare defined, published The journal LUPUS published the first-ever global definition of a
lupus flare, the Lupus Foundation of America Flare Definition, which was the result of a 4-year
worldwide initiative led by the LFA. The new definition provides clinicians and investigators with a
valuable tool for evaluating the effectiveness of potential new treatments.
3. Analysis takes tough look at treatment trials. The LFA released early data from the first-ever study
to use pooled data from industry-sponsored lupus treatment trials. The findings showed that background
medications taken by persons enrolled in these trials have a great impact on trial outcomes. Known as
the LFA Collective Data Analysis Initiative, this effort is intended to provide insight and identify trends
from previous lupus clinical trials and improve the design of future trials of new lupus therapies.
4 . . Persons unite to further lupus clinical studies The LFA Center for Clinical Trials Education served
as a resource for more than 20,000 persons interested in lupus clinical trials and helped connect potential
volunteers with studies in their areas.
5 . . Research reveals that more persons have lupus than previously estimated Early data from the
Georgia Lupus Registry indicated a higher overall prevalence of lupus and a significantly higher
incidence of lupus among black women than has been reported in the scientific literature.
6 . . Lupus flares infrequent during pregnancy for most women with stable lupus Findings from a large
study indicating that most women with stable lupus or only mildly active disease experience infrequent
flares during their pregnancies and deliver healthy babies are significant because lupus develops mostly
in young women of childbearing age.
7 . . Web-based community captures national spotlight The LFA launched Lupus Voices Across
America, a new Web-based community for persons with lupus to share what they want the public to
understand about lupus.
The Journal of Musculoskeletal Medicine. Vol. 29 No. Jan/Feb January 13, 2012
http://www.musculoskeletalnetwork.com/lupus/content/article/1145622/2017768
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8 . . Research studies help advance the science and medicine of lupus In 2011, the LFA supported lupus
research studies in critical areas, including cutaneous lupus, pediatric lupus, stem cell transplantation,
and neuropsychiatric lupus.
9 . . Lupus information disseminated The LFA and its national network assisted about 200,000 persons
by providing information about lupus, referrals to physicians, and support services.
10. . LFA-funded research presented Data from several studies funded by the LFAs National Research
Program were presented during the 2011 American College of Rheumatology Scientific Meeting,
including research on lupus in men, pediatric lupus, quality-of-life issues, lupus diagnostic criteria, lupus
biomarkers, and neuropsychiatric lupus.
For more information about lupus, visit the LFA Web site at . Or, contact the http://www.lupus.org
organization at Lupus Foundation of America, Inc, 2000 L Street NW, Suite 410, Washington, DC
20036; telephone: (202) 349-1155; fax: (202) 349-1156.
The Journal of Musculoskeletal Medicine. Vol. 29 No. Jan/Feb January 13, 2012
http://www.musculoskeletalnetwork.com/lupus/content/article/1145622/2017768
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