Research Log #2

Date: September 18, 2017

Name: Aspen-Marie Tong
EQ: How does Lupus affect a person and how can it be treated?

Three Points to Prove: #1: Lupus causes inflammation complications throughout the body.
#2: Lupus can be treated through prescription drugs and conventional medicine.
#3: Lupus can be treated naturally through alternative medicine and lifestyle
changes.
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Point that this Source/Information Proves: #2: Lupus can be treated through prescription drugs and
conventional medicine.

Excerpts:
“It is the first medication approved by the FDA for lupus in over 50 years, but it is the first drug ever
approved for lupus designed to specifically counteract the abnormal immunological activity seen in lupus
patients.”

“Benlysta has been approved as an alternative medication that may help keep lupus under control over a long
period of time.”

“Benlysta is a human monoclonal antibody, belimumab, which has been shown to reduce autoantibody levels
associated with lupus.”

“Medications currently used for the treatment of lupus, are borrowed from other diseases and have
significant, debilitating side effects.”

Analysis:
This news article introduces the public to Benlysta, a new prescription drug to treat lupus. The FDA
passed and approved the new drug Benlysta in March 2011. Benlysta, or belimumab, was developed by
Human Genome Sciences (HGS) and GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) located in Rockville, Maryland. Benlysta is
an immunosuppressive drug, which is often used to treat autoimmune diseases like lupus or arthritis.
Benlysta is the first lupus prescription drug to be passed by the Food and Drug Administration in over
fifty years. It is also the first approved drug that explicitly targets the abnormal immune activity that causes
inflammation. Prior to this new medication, Lupus treatments consisted of drugs primarily used on to treat
other diseases, but often resulted in painful side effects. This new medication allows Lupus patients to take a
single medication that targets abnormal functions of the immune system, resulting in fewer side effects.
Although Benlysta advances Lupus treatment, it too has its side effects. During testing and trials,
patients noted feelings of nausea, diarrhea, bronchitis, insomnia, depression, and migraines. Benlysta is
highly recommended for adults who suffer from mild lupus, as it was not tested on severe cases. Lupus
patients are more likely to be women and/or members of minority populations. During the Benlysta trials
only a small percentage of African American women and Hispanic women were included, making it difficult
to conclude the effects of the drug on different populations; although, most of the minorities tested reported
only the common side effects. Despite Benlysta being a relatively new medication and still having some
unknowns, it marks an important milestone in Lupus treatment advancement and knowledge of the disease.

Work Cited (correct MLA format):

Hunte, Reshonah. "New Drug Signals Breakthrough in the Treatment of Lupus Patients." Washington
Informer, vol. 46, no. 73, 24 Mar. 2011, p. 22. EBSCOhost.
I am assuming that this is a reputable and reliable article because it was found on the database EBSCO.