Lupus is an autoimmune disease that causes the immune system to attack healthy tissue throughout the body, affecting joints, skin, kidneys, blood cells, brain, heart, and lungs. It affects about 1.5 million Americans, mostly women of childbearing age. Treatment typically combines hydroxychloroquine with corticosteroids and immunosuppressants to control flares and prevent organ damage.
What's actually going on in research
Trials are testing targeted therapies that block specific immune pathways involved in lupus, including drugs that target B cells, interferon, and the complement system. Researchers are also studying therapies for lupus nephritis, which affects the kidneys and is a major cause of serious complications. Several biologics approved for other conditions are being tested in lupus, alongside drugs designed specifically for the disease.
Type I interferon blockers
Anifrolumab, an FDA-approved drug that blocks interferon signaling, represents the first new lupus treatment mechanism in decades. Additional interferon-targeting drugs are in trials for people who didn't respond to standard treatments.
Lupus nephritis therapies
Several drugs are being tested specifically for kidney involvement, including voclosporin, which was FDA-approved in 2021, and newer approaches that may preserve kidney function better than older immunosuppressants. Combination therapies are also being studied to see if they work better than single drugs.
B cell targeting
Belimumab, which targets B cells that produce damaging antibodies, is FDA-approved and being tested in combination with other drugs. Newer B cell therapies aim to work faster and more completely than current options.
What to know before you search
Eligibility typically depends on disease activity level, which organs are affected, antibody test results, prior medications tried, and whether kidney involvement is present.
What types of trials are currently open
- Treatment trials — Testing new drugs or drug combinations to reduce lupus symptoms and flares, often comparing them to standard treatments like hydroxychloroquine or corticosteroids.
- Lupus nephritis trials — Testing treatments specifically for kidney involvement, measuring protein in urine and kidney function over time.
- Biologic trials — Testing antibody-based drugs that target specific immune pathways, often given as infusions or injections every few weeks or months.
- Observational studies — Following people with lupus over time to understand disease patterns, identify biomarkers that predict flares or organ damage, and learn what affects long-term outcomes.
- Symptom-focused trials — Testing treatments for specific lupus symptoms like fatigue, joint pain, or skin rashes that persist despite standard treatments.
Recently added LUPUS trials
Take weekly at-home urine tests to monitor kidney function
Study participants enrolled in the SAMPLE Biorepository (s14-00487) who have provided permission to be contacted for future research will be enrolled and randomized (1:1) two-arm controlled) to either 1) perform weekly home-based proteinuria testing in addition to standard of care or 2) standard of care only. Participants randomized to the home-based proteinuria testing arm will perform weekly home-based proteinuria testing in addition to having standard of care and respond to study team's weekly text messages with urine test results for one year.
Take an experimental immune therapy for autoimmune disease
The primary objectives of this trial are to evaluate the safety and tolerability and to determine the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) or recommended Phase 2 dose of FT839 with or without rituximab and/or background therapy and/or conditioning therapy.
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