Sharon - Living with Lupus

Friday, September 4, 2009

A New Development

Well we lupus folks have a small victory and it comes in the form of Benlysta. It is the first new medication, designed exclusively for lupus patients, in half a century. There are no medications that are strictly for lupus. Our meds are always borrowed from other diseases like cancer or malaria. Now do you see why in an earlier post I termed lupus the 'step-child' of all diseases? We haven't had a breakthrough since Dwight Eisenhower was in office.

Benlysta helps with both discoid, which is lupus of the skin, and systemic, which is lupus of the blood, lupus. I have both. The drug is said to diminish the disease's symptoms and is a lot safer than Prednisone. Prednisone is a steroid that is used for pain and symptom management. It has a wide array of side effects such as brittle bone syndrome, weight gain and is very toxic to the body.

A lot of people, myself included, are very encouraged yet guarded by this development. With lupus being so hard to diagnose and symptoms varying from one person to the next, the newest "promising development" has failed time after time.

Benlysta is expected to be approved by the Food and Drug Administration next year. Please keep us in your prayers on this one. No one deserves to have to function in constant pain. Blessings to you!

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