Long-term safety and efficacy of the combination of belimumab and rituximab in the treatment of severe and refractory SLE: a preliminary report.

Objective: Combination therapy with rituximab and belimumab is a novel treatment strategy for severe SLE and lupus nephritis. Phase II studies have shown promising results, although long-term data are currently lacking. To address this, we analysed outcomes of patients with severe treatment-refractory SLE who previously participated in the phase II Synbiose Study, with a particular focus on immunological parameters.