Epratuzumab for patients with moderate to severe flaring SLE: health-related quality of life outcomes and corticosteroid use in the randomized controlled ALLEVIATE trials and extension study SL0006.

Objective: To evaluate health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and corticosteroid use in patients with moderate to severely active SLE enrolled in two international, multicentre, randomized controlled trials of epratuzumab (ALLEVIATE-1 and -2) and a long-term extension study (SL0006).

Methods: Ninety ALLEVIATE patients (43% BILAG A, mean BILAG score 13.2) were randomized to receive 360 mg/m(2) (n = 42) or 720 mg/m(2) (n = 11) epratuzumab or placebo (n = 37), plus standard of care, in 12-week cycles.

Efficacy and safety of epratuzumab in patients with moderate/severe flaring systemic lupus erythematosus: results from two randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicentre studies (ALLEVIATE) and follow-up.

Objective: To evaluate epratuzumab treatment in patients with moderately-to-severely active SLE in two international, randomized, controlled trials (ALLEVIATE-1 and -2) and an open-label extension study (SL0006).

Methods: Ninety ALLEVIATE patients (43% BILAG A, median BILAG score 12.0) received standard of care plus 10 total doses of placebo (n = 37) or 360 mg/m(2) (n = 42) or 720 mg/m(2) (n = 11) epratuzumab, administered across 12-week cycles for up to 48 weeks, with BILAG assessments every 4 weeks.

Efficacy and safety of epratuzumab in patients with moderate/severe active systemic lupus erythematosus: results from EMBLEM, a phase IIb, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicentre study.

Objective: To identify a suitable dosing regimen of the CD22-targeted monoclonal antibody epratuzumab in adults with moderately to severely active systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).

Methods: A phase IIb, multicentre, randomised controlled study (NCT00624351) was conducted with 227 patients (37-39 per arm) receiving either: placebo, epratuzumab 200 mg cumulative dose (cd) (100 mg every other week (EOW)), 800 mg cd (400 mg EOW), 2400 mg cd (600 mg weekly), 2400 mg cd (1200 mg EOW), or 3600 mg cd (1800 mg EOW). The primary endpoint (not powered for significance) was the week 12 responder rate measured using a novel composite endpoint, the British Isles Lupus Assessment Group (BILAG)-based Combined Lupus Assessment (BICLA).

Data quality challenges in systemic lupus erythematosus trials: how can this be optimized?

Major scientific advances in basic science, pharmacology, and translational medicine have allowed the discovery of new molecular targets whose manipulation by new chemical entities has led to treatments for inflammatory diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, and inflammatory bowel disease. Development of new agents for systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) has lagged, however, because the protean manifestations of SLE present challenges for measuring therapeutic effects in a consistent manner. Composite end points combining several Disease Activity Indices (DAIs) are being used in ongoing global studies, but the uniform application of these complex DAIs across large numbers of clinical sites has proven difficult.