New treatment for lupus approved for limited use on the NHS

The National Institute for health and Care Excellence (NICE) has approved Belimumab (Benlysta) for limited use on the NHS for certain people with lupus in England and Wales.

This is the first new treatment for lupus for more than 50 years. NICE has said the drug would be made available under a managed access scheme between GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) and the NHS in England.

Benlysta was approved in Europe five years ago. It is the first in a new class of drugs called BLyS-specific inhibitors, which work by targeting a naturally occurring protein believed to play a role in the production of antibodies which attack and destroy the body’s own healthy tissues.

The treatment will be reviewed by NICE after three years, when further data will be collected on its benefits to patients.

“We are very pleased that NICE has announced that this new treatment will be made available on the NHS for lupus patients in England and Wales who meet the necessary criteria. It has allowed access to another treatment option for those with advanced disease which has failed to respond to currently available therapies,” says Chris Maker, Director of LUPUS UK.

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