Human Genome Sciences, Inc., and GlaxoSmithKline PLC announced on March 9, 2011, that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved BENLYSTA® (belimumab) for the treatment of adult patients with active, autoantibody-positive systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) who are receiving standard therapy. “We and GSK are honored to have the opportunity, with the approval of FDA, to bring BENLYSTA forward in the United States as the first new drug for systemic lupus in more than 50 years,” said H. Thomas Watkins, President and Chief Executive Officer, HGS. “We expect to have this novel therapy available to physicians and patients within about two weeks, and our entire organization looks forward to the positive impact we hope this new therapy will have for patients with systemic lupus.” Dr. Monsef Slaoui, Chairman, GSK Research and Development, said, “The approval of BENLYSTA is an important step for appropriate lupus patients. Patients have been waiting for new treatment options to help manage this chronic disease. We look forward to working together with HGS to bring this new medicine to patients in the U.S.” BENLYSTA (belimumab) is the first in a new class of drugs called BLyS-specific inhibitors. Belimumab blocks the binding of soluble BLyS, a B-cell survival factor, to its receptors on B cells. Belimumab does not bind B cells directly, but by binding BLyS, belimumab inhibits the survival of B cells, including autoreactive B cells, and reduces the differentiation of B cells into immunoglobulin-producing plasma cells. BLyS is a naturally occurring protein which was discovered by HGS in 1996.
Human Genome Sciences, Inc., and GlaxoSmithKline PLC announced on March 9, 2011, that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved BENLYSTA® (belimumab) for the treatment of adult patients with active, autoantibody-positive systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) who are receiving standard therapy. “We and GSK are honored to have the opportunity, with the approval of FDA, to bring BENLYSTA forward in the United States as the first new drug for systemic lupus in more than 50 years,” said H. Thomas Watkins, President and Chief Executive Officer, HGS. “We expect to have this novel therapy available to physicians and patients within about two weeks, and our entire organization looks forward to the positive impact we hope this new therapy will have for patients with systemic lupus.” Dr. Monsef Slaoui, Chairman, GSK Research and Development, said, “The approval of BENLYSTA is an important step for appropriate lupus patients. Patients have been waiting for new treatment options to help manage this chronic disease. We look forward to working together with HGS to bring this new medicine to patients in the U.S.” BENLYSTA (belimumab) is the first in a new class of drugs called BLyS-specific inhibitors. Belimumab blocks the binding of soluble BLyS, a B-cell survival factor, to its receptors on B cells. Belimumab does not bind B cells directly, but by binding BLyS, belimumab inhibits the survival of B cells, including autoreactive B cells, and reduces the differentiation of B cells into immunoglobulin-producing plasma cells. BLyS is a naturally occurring protein which was discovered by HGS in 1996. According to a March 10, 2011 Wall Street Journal report on the announcement, “analysts expect the drug to reach blockbuster status, eventually topping $1 billion a year.” The WSJ noted that “lupus is a chronic, potentially life-threatening disease in which the body’s immune system attacks healthy tissue, causing debilitating joint pain, organ damage, and skin rashes. The mainstay treatment now is the steroid prednisone, which has serious side effects and doctors and patient advocates say patients are desperate for new medications. Estimates of how many Americans are affected range from 161,000 to 1.5 million, and the disease is more common in women, and in African-Americans than Caucasians. Human Genome Sciences estimates the initial market for BENLYSTA is about 325,000 patients.” The label for BENLYSTA includes the following limitations of use: The efficacy of belimumab has not been evaluated in patients with severe active lupus nephritis or severe active central nervous system lupus, and has not been studied in combination with other biologics or intravenous cyclophosphamide. Use of belimumab is therefore not recommended in these situations. [Press release]
