UK Clinical Trial

[freakyschizogirl]

Did anyone else get their VUK newsletter and the info about a new clinical trial being done on a new drug that could help prevent flares?

It looks as if it is being lead by the esteemed Mad Prof David Jayne at Adds in conjunction with Glaxo Smith Kline. Also being done at Royal Berkshire, St Thomas', Nuffield in Oxford and Aberdeen Royal Infirmary.

The drug is called Belimumab or Benlysta and targets those dastardly B cells by going after the chemical messengers called BLyS. The clinical trial is called BREVAS.

I'm seriously thinking about applying as I would like to do anything I can to stay in remission but I have my doubts and don't know if I could be available once a month for a year to go to clinic with my work rota. Going to ring Addenbrookes to get more information.

[Debbie C]

I wonder if it is availible here in the states ?

[freakyschizogirl]

No idea Debra, do find out and report back

[Pete]

I wonder if it is available here in the states ?

Looks like it is. It's marketed by Glaxo Smith Kline in the US. It's used for lupus or systemic lupus erythematosus. Other than this thread, I'm not aware of any research being done with this drug and GPA/Wegener's. Nothing about it has been mentioned in the past several Vasculitis Foundation newsletters.