Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) is a systemic inflammatory autoimmune disease affecting many organs of the body, such as skin, joints and kidney. It is a markedly heterogenic disease with different sets of symptoms in different patients, and with periods of flares and quiescence. The etiology of the disease is unknown, but genetic as well as environmental factors play a role. SLE patients are often treated with corticosteroids and other antiinflammatory agents, and although there is ongoing clinical development of a number of biological treatments targeting B cells as well as T cells and other target molecules, a major unmet medical need persists.