A combination of two drugs could be an effective treatment for lupus, according to preliminary evidence from a UCLH led trial.

The BEAT Lupus trial found that treating people with belimumab after rituximab – both ‘biologic’ drugs that are made from substances produced by the body – caused a reduction in levels of a harmful antibody that is associated with disease activity in lupus.

The study showed that this combination of drugs led to a threefold reduction in severe flares in patients with lupus, compared to the placebo group only receiving rituximab during the 52 weeks of the trial.

It is the UK’s first clinical trial testing a combination of ‘biologic’ treatments for people with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), the most common form of lupus.

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