MedImmune reports positive data in lupus medication test

Positive data has been received from the Phase II trial for anifrolumab, according to an announcement from MedImmune, which is the development and research portion of AstraZeneca.

“The lupus community has been disappointed too often with clinical trial results,” principal investigator Richard Furie, from the North Shore-LIJ Health System's Division of Rheumatology, said. “We have been eagerly awaiting clinical data of this magnitude for many years. These results provide very compelling evidence that blocking the Type 1 interferon system with an inhibitor of the Type I interferon receptor is a promising strategy for the treatment of SLE and support the progression of anifrolumab into Phase III.”

They will present their research at American College of Rheumatology.

“These positive results for anifrolumab represent real hope for patients with lupus, who have only seen one new treatment for their disease in almost 60 years,” Bing Yao, MedImmune's senior vice president for research and development in Respiratory, Inflammation & Autoimmunity, said. “We followed the science behind the potential therapeutic benefits of blocking the interferon pathway and look forward to confirming the data in our robust Phase III TULIP program, as we seek to bring a new medicine for people with lupus.”


AstraZeneca operates in over 100 countries. Its medicines are used by millions of patients worldwide.