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news.La Jolla Pharmaceutical Company has released updated interim antibody reduction data for the phase III trial of lupus drug Riquent which shows a significant response compared to placebo.
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Riquent is being developed to specifically treat lupus renal disease by preventing or delaying renal flares. A lupus renal flare is a potentially life-threatening increase in inflammation targeting the kidney and often requires treatment with immunosuppressive agents which can have severe side effects. Riquent's only known biological activity is the reduction of circulating levels of anti-dsDNA antibodies, which are associated with an increased risk of renal flare.
The minor changes to the data show a greater reduction from baseline in antibody levels in patients treated with Riquent. Approximately three times as many patients treated with 900 mg of Riquent (42%) had at least a 50% or greater antibody reduction at week 8 compared with patients treated with 100 mg (13%).
Patients reached their maximum reduction after four weeks of treatment at which time separation between doses was also seen. The updated data indicate that the higher the Riquent dose, the greater the consistency of response and the greater the magnitude of this response.