Lupus Research Alliance News

Updated July 15, 2021 The Lupus Research Alliance (LRA) today announced a bold Strategic Plan for Research (Strategic Plan) that identifies core issues and sets new priorities to transform lupus research, accelerate breakthrough treatments and ultimately, find a cure through the power of precision medicine. The Strategic Plan is informed by years of funded research […] READ MORE

August, 2020 A new study led by Dr. Roberto Caricchio, Dr. Stefania Gallucci and Dr. Cagla Tukel, funded by the Lupus Research Alliance, has shown that lupus flares are associated with high levels of antibodies against a specific bacterial protein, called curli. Published in Arthritis and Rheumatology, the study also showed that high levels of […] READ MORE

August 6, 2020 Christian Lood, PhD, at the University of Washington, has developed a new method to assess lupus disease severity. It relies on measuring immune complexes, which are the substances that form when antibodies recognize and attach to a particular target in the body. In systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and other autoimmune diseases, these […] READ MORE

July 31, 2020 In early July we alerted you that the Fiscal Year (FY) 2021 Defense Appropriations Bill was publicly announced with $10 million appropriated for the Lupus Research Program at the Department of Defense. We are thrilled to announce that the House of Representatives today passed this Bill! The many, many phone calls and […] READ MORE

July 27, 2020 The Lupus Research Alliance congratulates 2018 Lupus Insight Prize recipient Betty Diamond, MD and the Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research on being awarded $15 million from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease to study brain dysfunction linked to lupus. Dr. Diamond will use the five-year grant to study a receptor […] READ MORE

July 27, 2020 A new international study published in Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases showed that belimumab (Benlysta) was safe and effective when given intravenously to children. In this Phase 2, randomized, placebo-controlled, blinded study, 93 patients 5-17 years of age received standard therapy plus either placebo or belimumab. As measured by commonly used tools, […] READ MORE

July 30, 2020 Click here to view the replay of our recent  Kickoff to the 2020 ManyOne Can Walk with Us to Cure Lupus presented by GSK.  Hosted by Lupus Research Alliance’s President Ken Farber, this FUNd-raising Zoom webcast featured seasoned Walk Captains who gave lots of great ideas for team building and FUNdraising, in […] READ MORE

NEW YORK, NY. July 22, 2020. The Lupus Research Alliance congratulates Aurinia Pharmaceuticals Inc. on acceptance of its NDA filing and priority review designation by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for its investigational drug voclosporin for lupus nephritis. A serious inflammation of the kidneys, lupus nephritis is one of the most common complications of […] READ MORE

  NEW YORK, NY. July 14, 2020 — The Lupus Research Alliance (LRA) is pleased to announce the recipients of the inaugural LRA-BMS Accelerator Award*, a collaborative project with sponsoring partner Bristol Myers Squibb. The Award provides a collective total of $3,000,000 to support ten cutting-edge lupus research projects over two years that focus on […] READ MORE

Enthusiastic … charming … exuberant-these are qualities Lauren Maley has in spades-so much so that you might not easily grasp the extent to which lupus has impacted her young life. Officially she has been coping with lupus for the past five years-but in reality, it has been much longer. A false-negative lupus test resulted in […] READ MORE

When it comes to solving the mysteries of lupus, we must explore all potential avenues of discovery—including the brain. This is why the LRA is funding important research and a clinical trial to address neuropsychiatric lupus—the wide range of symptoms involving the brain that can vary from “brain fog” to stroke to psychosis. We’re also […] READ MORE

Lupus Awareness Month Although this past May—Lupus Awareness Month—wasn’t quite like others, the LRA has initiated efforts for people with lupus to connect. To help our community cope with the effects of COVID-19 in May and beyond, the LRA has unveiled a series of enlighteningly educational videos hosted by Shayla Shorter, PhD. The Learning from […] READ MORE