Aurinia Pharmaceuticals presents new findings on LUPKYNIS’s efficacy in treating lupus nephritis at the Congress of Clinical Rheumatology East 2024, highlighting its potential as a sustainable treatment option.
In a significant stride towards enhancing lupus nephritis (LN) treatment, Aurinia Pharmaceuticals Inc. presented compelling new data at the annual Congress of Clinical Rheumatology (CCR) East 2024 in Destin, FL. The findings highlight the efficacy and safety of LUPKYNIS (voclosporin) in treating this severe kidney inflammation that affects many lupus sufferers.
Lupus nephritis occurs in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), a chronic autoimmune disease where the body’s immune system attacks its tissues. This condition can severely impact kidney function over time, leading to significant health complications if not treated effectively. Lupus primarily strikes young women, particularly of African, Hispanic, and Asian descent, who are disproportionately affected by severe outcomes.
According to the data shared at the conference, a combination therapy involving LUPKYNIS, mycophenolate mofetil (MMF), and steroids significantly reduces proteinuria – excess protein in the urine, a key indicator of kidney damage. Propensity analysis of historical trials (ALMS, AURA-LV, and AURORA 1) showed that this regimen not only provided earlier relief from proteinuria compared to conventional therapies but also decreased patient exposure to potential toxicities associated with higher doses of standard treatments like MMF and glucocorticoids alone.
Dr. Greg Keenan, Chief Medical Officer of Aurinia, emphasized the treatment’s alignment with the 2023 updated EULAR guidelines, underscoring its potential as a first-line therapy for appropriate patients. This represents a pivotal advancement in the management of LN, potentially improving long-term kidney outcomes, which hinge critically on the rapid reduction of proteinuria upon initial treatment.
Aside from these broader findings, a subset analysis spotlighted the drug’s positive impact on Black patients, who have historically experienced poorer outcomes and lower treatment responses. Over a three-year period, data demonstrated that Black patients receiving LUPKYNIS-based therapy showed a substantial improvement in complete renal response compared to those on MMF and glucocorticoids alone, although statistical significance was not achieved in this analysis.
These presentations underscore LUPKYNIS’s role in LN management, following its distinction as the first FDA-approved oral medication for active LN in adults. With LN affecting roughly 120,000 people in the U.S. alone, innovations in treatment are critically needed. Despite recommendations for routine screening of LN in SLE patients, approximately half of these patients are not screened, and many do not receive timely or adequate treatment.
The safety profile of LUPKYNIS (monitored for impacts like nephrotoxicity and hypertension), alongside its efficacy, offers renewed hope and potentially shifts the landscape of LN treatment towards more sustainable, less toxic solutions that can arrest or possibly reverse kidney damage progression in lupus patients.
As the CCR East 2024 continues, these insights from Aurinia Pharmaceuticals Inc. suggest a promising avenue for practitioners and patients aiming to manage this debilitating autoimmune affliction more effectively, particularly in subsets of the population at an elevated risk of adverse outcomes. As with all medications, the benefits of LUPKYNIS have to be weighed against the risks, adhering closely to medical guidelines and patient-specific considerations.